Bitter Cold
by The Lunatic Author
Summary: Shadow had expected to face against a mighty creature, a defilement of Gerald's legacy. Something built to defeat him. Nothing could have prepared him for this. Then the past came knocking, and soon enough the blue hedgehog was the least of his troubles. Sonadow, Black Arms Arc.
1. Chapter 1

**I know I should be working on my other stories, but I had a writer's block until I got this story out of my system, and I think you guys will enjoy it, as it will be far simpler than my other stories, and more focused on the Sonadow. Basically put, good practice.**

 **As you may notice, it's set in a AU world. It will mainly focus on the game Shadow the Hedgehog, but I might expand it. Depends if you like it or not. Enjoy!**

* * *

He stared, unblinking, at the small control panel. Normally he wouldn't have dared using a elevator this deep in enemy territory, but he'd taken out most of the personnel within an hour of entering the base. There was nobody left in the compound that could try to turn it off, less try to kill him. The remaining soldiers were confined in the deepest, darkest level of the military base, trapped after he'd descended upon the G.U.N settlement and destroyed every other entrance except this one. There was no running away from the humans.

They could only wait for the Ultimate Lifeform to pick them off, one by one.

With a metallic hiss the doors of the elevator slid open in front of him, allowing the biological weapon of mass destruction to walk forwards, the blood of his opponents dripping from his fur and staining the clean stone floor. The creature smirked upon entering the basement of the building, a cruel, feral grin that felt unnatural on the features of the normally stoic hedgehog. He stood in the doorway of the chamber, his arrogant smile widening as he noticed the five guns trailed on him.

The humans took steps back upon gaining his attention, but they did not fire.

Sheer terror held them where they were. They knew there was no running away from this monster.

"Freeze! D-don't you dare move!"

A amused sigh left him. The dark warrior could smell the fear coming from the humans. He'd expected more of G.U.N. He would have thought they would be more than five soldiers inside the building protecting their precious asset, but it seemed as if he had been proven wrong. Somehow, he felt disappointed. Was this weapon so pitiful and broken that the monkeys refused to assign proper guards? Would killing it be as undemanding as invading this base?

It was still a weapon based on Gerald's research, Shadow reminded himself. He wouldn't let his creator's legacy be sullied by the existence of such a vile being.

"Put your hands over your head, beast, or we will shoot!"

He quirked an eyebrow at the boldness of the human. "Is that a threat, _filth_?" Shadow purred menacingly, pleased to see the men flinch back, fighting against their instincts that urged them to run away as fast as they could.

Pathetic.

He raised a single gloved hand, scarlet sparkling along his fingertips.

The humans tensed even further.

The Ultimate Lifeform smiled, a cruel smirk hungering for blood that stretched from cheek to cheek.

 _"Chaos Blast."_

A wave of death spilled across the chamber, the screams of the agents echoing against metal walls as the men fell to the floor, limbs missing and bodies reduced to shrivelling masses of burnt flesh. Dry blood pooled around the corpses, mixing with the melted remains of what had once been guns.

Stepping over the twitching body of a surviving human, Shadow made sure to push his foot down on the man's back and break his spine. The agent beneath him let out a croak, unable to scream as most of his vocal cords had been reduced to blackened flesh. Smirking at his own petty action, the ebony male slipped into the next room and gazed down at his target with satisfaction.

A pod lay in the middle of the chamber, a delicate sheet of frost covering the glass of the container and masking it's contents from the immortal's view. Shadow stepped closer to the strange object, hearing the low hum of machinery coming from beneath the structure. This pod looked more complicated than the one G.U.N. had put him in. It wasn't reinforced like his was, but it was certainly different. Not as strong or as well-built, made as a simple container and not the cage for a monster. Older.

Dusty.

Shadow wondered how long it had been down here.

Edging closer to the massive machine of a ancient design, the onyx warrior looked over the control pad and pressed the release button. He stepped back as soft clicks and hisses came from the tube. The small sheet of ice covering the thick glass cracked and fell away as the front of the cryogenic chamber slid open, letting out pale steam as it began sucking up the fluids that had protected it's precious cargo.

The black hedgehog tensed, preparing for what was to come. He could feel a strong source of Chaos from within the tube, and readied himself for the upcoming battle. If the creature within had truly been trained to eliminate him, then it would try to do so at the smallest opportunity. Despite his confidence in his abilities, Shadow was not stupid. Being careful had saved him many times in the past from being captured by G.U.N.

Slowly brushing the steam away with a wave of his hand, the ebony male peered inside the contents of the cryogenic tube.

His smirk fell. He didn't know what he was expecting, but certainly not _this_.

For starters, there was nothing menacing or even remotely dangerous about the trembling figure curled up inside the tube, shying away from his scorching glare. It was smaller than himself, a lithe figure built for speed and agility rather than Shadow's brute strength and power. Curved quills gleamed under the white lights, drawing his attention.

So they had also used mobian genes for their creation.

The brilliant jade eyes stared up at his own ruby ones with a mixture of blank confusion and happiness, making something within Shadow grow almost mournful had he not been so determined to end the thing's existence. It was probably the first time it had ever seen a being that remotely resembled it. How unfortunate.

"Get up." The blue quilled head tilted to the side at the stiff command, the green eyes of the tiny male still looking into his own, almost as if he hadn't spoken. This irritated Shadow. He was not one to be ignored, especially by a fool. "I said, _get up_." The immortal growled, his tone more menacing now, but only managing to get a blink and a stare from the smaller hybrid.

Sighing in irritation, the Ultimate Lifeform reached into the pod and roughly grabbed the sapphire being by the wrists before dragging him out of the contained. The cobalt hedgehog trashed weakly in the iron grip of his counterpart, a surprised hoarse cry escaping him as he was coldly dropped onto the icy floor.

The lithe form shivered upon contact with the cold tiles and he scooted closer to Shadow in a desperate search of heat it had been denied for years. The dark warrior watched with distaste as the small form pressed against his legs, shivering horribly from the freezing temperature it was subjected to. _This_ was the weapon? What G.U.N. made to _neutralize_ him?! Why was it so ridiculously _stupid_?!

"Stop it!" Shadow commanded with a bark, watching the creature flinch at the loud sound with satisfaction. He stepped away from the kneeling being, making him lose his balance and fall on his chest. The sapphire hedgehog let out a weak mewl of protest, but it seemed as if it had a brain for he didn't chase after the aggravated Shadow and merely laid there, half-curled up, blue fur fluffing up, desperate to generate some kind of heat. Pitiful green eyes filled with confusion and fear flicked up at him, silently pleading for mercy.

The Ultimate Lifeform looked down at the shivering mass with anger. This was it? Months of tracking down the elite of G.U.N., months of slipping past the organization's radar, months of raiding to obtain even the smallest glimpse of information about this second creation, and this is what he to eliminate to purify Gerald's memory? A snivelling _coward_?!

 _Seeing how badly he was protected, they probably wanted him dead..._ Carmine eyes narrowed as the hypothesis was mulled over, his mind quickly running down a list of possible conclusions before coming back inconclusive -save this one. It was all too clear. The low number of personnel and ancient equipment was enough of a answer.

That had to be the reason why there was such a lax security. What else could it be?

His mind settled, he reached down and snaked his arms beneath the smaller Ultimate Lifeform's chest and legs before rising back up, the blue form cradled in his hands. The hybrid squeaked and struggled in vain but a dangerous, icy glare from Shadow was enough to make the other hedgehog cower, panic curbed when the intimidating warrior stared him down. The quilled head of his captive laid down against the white chest of his chest, and the first Ultimate Lifeform didn't need to be a genius to see it was savouring the warmth it had been denied for so many years.

With the creature subdued, Shadow turned around and began walking back to the elevator. The immortal in his arms flinched and whimpered as he stepped into the first room, the smell of burnt flesh rising up to their sensitive noses. All of the soldiers who had survived the initial blast had died of their injuries, and their deaths brought another feral smirk to the Ultimate Lifeform's lips.

This was it.

He wasn't doing G.U.N. any favors.

The blue hedgehog was coming with him.


	2. Chapter 2

Ruby eyes gazed pass the book their owner was holding tightly, laying upon the limp figure curled up beneath a dark green blanket. The blue hybrid had quickly fallen unconscious after they left the compound, the shock of his sudden re-entrance to the living world too much for it's frail system to handle. Shadow had brought them as far away as he could from the base on foot before using Chaos Control to leave the isolated mountain range.

Now, the smaller Ultimate Lifeform laid there like a stringless puppet, unaware of the dark thoughts swirling in his savior's mind. Shadow watched the other sleep with narrowed eyes, fighting the urge to sneer at the pathetic blue mass. The ebony warrior found it to be disgustingly easy to kill the sapphire male. He would only need to whip out his gun, point at the quilled head and shoot, blowing the other's brains out.

Completely painless. The current source of his headache would be dealt with in a split second.

Yet Shadow couldn't bring himself to do so.

A soft groan alerted him to the other's awakening. Shadow watched as the lithe form shifted beneath the cover, head rising, Emerald eyes blinking the drowsiness away as their owner began looking around almost curiously, only a hint of confusion in the jade orbs.

Shadow cleared his throat and watched with satisfaction as the cobalt head whipped around to the source of the sound. The other's eyes widened and the younger male's ears lowered, displaying his submissiveness and acceptance of the other as the leader. It seemed as if what had occurred a few hours prior was still fresh in the hedgehog's mind. Good.

The darker hybrid preferred that the fool knew his place from the get go.

"Do you even have a name, you pathetic thing?"

The creature stared at him in silence.

Guess he had to do it the hard way. Sighing, Shadow lifted a hand and pointed at himself. "My name is Shadow." He stated clearly, almost hearing his IQ lower by ten for each word he uttered. This better be worth it. Shifting his hand around, he pointed at the blue hedgehog. "What is your _name_?"

(He wasn't going to lie. He felt pretty stupid playing mime for this idiot.)

The hybrid stared at his finger blankly, making Shadow even more frustrated than he already was. If the thing couldn't even understand such a basic function, why the _hell_ did G.U.N. think it could defeat him, the Ultimate Lifeform?!

"...name...?" Black ears perked up at the soft sound they almost didn't catch. Shadow watched as the creature examined the finger, then himself, then back at Shadow. Sapphire brows lowered in concentration as the smaller lifeform frowned, looking almost thoughtful. "...name...is..."

It coughed, struggling to speak properly, and Shadow was struck with a epiphany. Of course the experiment couldn't speak, it probably spent years in the cryogenic chamber. His throat wouldn't in working order so soon after being trapped in that tube for such a long period of time.

"Stay here." The ebony male said as he set the book aside and stood up, intent on getting some medicine. If that didn't work, he could always use his Emerald, though he preferred not showing the gem to the unknown creature. "I'll go get some-"

"...So-sonic..." Shadow paused at the voice, looking back at the coughing blue form, who was smiling crookedly at him, triumphant despite it's sorry state. "...my n-name...is Sonic." The small grin fell away, leaving a expression full of wonder and curiosity. "...what...is...yours?"

The black hedgehog raised an eyebrow at the awaiting hybrid. He's stubborn. The ebony warrior filed this information in his head. The name also surprised him. Sonic? If G.U.N. had chosen such a name for their creation, it had to mean something. Would that mean the smaller male was fast, maybe even faster than himself? The scarlet eyes scanned the blue form, noting the slim built, long legs and thin, aerodynamic figure. It was possible, but he would need to test the creature just to be sure.

 _Probably the only thing that he has going for him._ It didn't matter. Sheer speed was useless against his vast arsenal of skills.

He didn't seem very smart as well. _He maybe doesn't even know where he comes from._ A absurd thought, but still one that made the ebony warrior ponder.

"Shadow." The Ultimate Lifeform answered, watching as the cobalt ears perked up at the sound of the rough tone.

"Shad...ow? Shadow?" The other repeated his name a few more times, trying it out. "Shadow!" The being parroted happily, looking proud of himself. By the fourth cry, the said black warrior had grown bored the immortal's shenanigans and returned to his book. He ignored the creature when his name was called out as a question, absorbed by his reading.

He could care less of what the smaller animal did as long as he stayed where he was.

The sudden shift of the couch however, was something the Ultimate Lifeform could not ignore. Scarlet eyes snapped up, alert, pinning surprised emeralds in place.

He couldn't help but notice that Sonic looked as if he had been caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

"Go back to the bed, now." The darker male hissed threateningly, clutching the book closer and glaring at the small immortal who had dared walking up to him. The blue form flinched under his glare, but stayed determined, climbing up the couch and settling next to him, blanket falling down against a thin sapphire waist. "You moron!" Shadow growled, growing more irritated, itching to hit the insolent fool. He was now wishing he had shot the other Ultimate Lifeform and left his cold, broken body for G.U.N. to find in that isolated mountain base.

The other flinched and ducked his head under the blazing ruby eyes, but sat still and determined at the infuriated male's side. Shadow glared down at the blue hedgehog, who choose to look away and curl up at his side, content.

Had he not been so tired, the older male could have kicked the other off the couch and taken the sole bed for himself. He scowled at the small ball of blue fluff, disliking how the creature nuzzled against his side like a content pet. A fool he could handle, but this?!

"Stop it." The dark warrior muttered, giving the youth a harsh shove. Sonic whined but seemed to understand what he said, settling down and resting his head on a red-striped leg, blue eyelids closing shut over green. The sapphire fell asleep almost immediately, probably still drowsy and exhausted from his time in the cryogenic chamber.

Shadow stared at the spectacle in surprise, unable to choose between astoning end at the other's boldness or exasperation at the defenceless creature practically sleeping on his lap.

He slowly opened his book, pausing as a thought struck him. Shadow looked down at his fellow immortal, gauging if the other was truly asleep or just faking it. For a moment, he eyed the slumbering figure, examining the twitching ears and slack expression before the hybrid quickly realized his own foolishness and resumed his reading.

There was no use wondering if the other would try to spy on him. Unless Sonic had a intricate understanding of Chaos Theory, it was unlikely he'll even understand the first page of the book.

xxxxxx

"Please!"

"I said no, fool."

The insult flew right over the quilled head, but the said hybrid did catch the general meaning of the word by the irritated tone of his companion.

Sonic pouted at the well-deserved nickname, but nevertheless complied with the grumpy black hedgehog's desires and sat down on his bed, pouting slightly. Shadow barely spared a glance at the creature, busy with a small pile of papers detailing the possible locations of a Chaos Emerald.

It had been three days since he had brought the parasite to his hidden home in Green Hills, and he was already starting to regret leaving him alive.

Shadow had restricted the smaller immortal to the bedroom until he decided what his next move would be. In the meanwhile, the little speedster would be kept near him at all times; the last thing the black hedgehog wanted was for G.U.N. to retrieve the creature -despite how it would save his sanity- and dissect it, possibly discovering weak points they could use against him.

A loud whimper drew his attention back to the source of his growing headache. Shadow glared at the blue hedgehog, growing more and more angry as the other tried to climb up the couch and onto his lap once more. The conflicted warrior had allowed it only once, and that had been mostly due to laziness.

(He was not a cushion, dammit.)

The frail creature whined again, making him snap the files shut and give the cobalt youth a scorching glare. Sonic returned his state with a impassive one.

It seemed as if the younger immortal was gauging him, trying to undermine his control over the situation. The stronger Ultimate Lifeform wasn't going to let it happen.

His instincts flared to life, and Shadow snapped.

A hand grasped a thin fawn wrist tightly and spun their target around, pinning the surprised blue hedgehog on his belly atop of the couch. Shadow loomed over the other, fangs bared, growling into the smaller hybrid's ears as he crushed him against the mattress with his weight.

"Don't fucking do that again, you little shit." The shiver was enough of an answer to Shadow.

Sonic lay curled up beneath him, ears and quills lowered, the smaller Ultimate Lifeform instinctively going limp under the aggravated male as to not spurn the already angry warrior into attacking. Shadow could almost smell the fear in the other's scent, the shaking of the frail form, and it satisfied him to know that the imbecile knew his place. Until he figured out what to do with the cobalt hedgehog, the creature had to comply that his word was law, otherwise retribution would be in order.

A strange, spicy smell made itself known under the sweet scent of fear, drawing his attention. Shadow's brows lowered as his nose twitched, confused by what it picked up. His body tensed instinctively, quills flaring and blood boiling. The black fighter edged his head closer to his captive's neck, where the smell pooled. He buried his nose into the blue fur, inhaling deeply, ignoring the quiver travelling the form trapped underneath his bulk.

The older Ultimate Lifeform suddenly reared back, struck by the realization.

It was Sonic's natural scent.

Irritated by the time lost wondering on something as stupid as a _smell_ Shadow roughly let go, allowing his captive to scoot away, unharmed save a bruised wrist. Sonic crawled over to the other edge of the couch, ears and quills still quite low atop of his head as he lay there, green orbs wide with terror, eying Shadow as if the ebony warrior had struck him.

The elder glanced at the quivering blue form with narrowed eyes, pleased to see the other flinch.

Good. Maybe the idiot wasn't as much of a hopeless case as he first thought.

He would learn where his place was.


	3. Chapter 3

By the end of the fifth day, both Ultimate Lifeforms had fallen into what could be passed as a routine. Sonic wasn't trying to undermine or challenge his larger counterpart anymore, save a few whines and falling asleep next to the resisting striped hedgehog for extra warmth. His vocabulary was growing, or rather, coming back, as Shadow was starting to think that the sapphire's condition was due to the outdated cryogenic chamber G.U.N. had stuffed him in for safekeeping.

He only needed time to regain his basic bodily functions, and by then the ebony fighter hoped he had made the other subservient enough for him to never undermine his authority again -although judging from the last few days, he didn't think the other would be fully compliant to his every whim and order. Sonic was too stubborn or stupid to do so.

It wasn't his only option, however. He could learn to live with the annoyance, true, but Shadow could also shoot the smaller immortal and leave his rotting carcass in front of the G.U.N. Headquarters as a warning to never dare attempt to recreate the Ultimate Lifeform program.

(He still couldn't bring himself to level a gun to Sonic's head. It infuriated him.)

The curious hedgehog was still prone to wandering around despite his orders, exploring the halls of the small base. On the evening of the fourth day, Shadow had found the younger one sniffing at his study in inquisitively, one of his engraved guns held loosely in a fawn hand. The older Ultimate Lifeform had promptly ripped the weapon out of the oblivious male's hand before picking the blue one up by the scruff and carrying him back to the bed. Sonic had gone limp in his arms, the now terrified hybrid sensing the elder's rage.

Shadow had nearly shot the offending creature right there and then and damn the wide green eyes full of fright, but he had relented. The idiot hadn't know that his study was out of bounds, and judging by the grovelling and nuzzling against his side despite his snarled warnings, the immortal now knew better than try and invade his territory.

His personal space was another matter altogether.

One thing Shadow learned of his counterpart was that Sonic was awfully dependent on physical contact. He would constantly touch the walls and furniture in wonder, almost as if he believe he was dreaming, still in the cryogenic tube; the sole living being besides himself was a big target for his wandering hands, and more often than not the elder would wake up to find a ball of blue fluff pressing against his side or poking and pulling at his quills with curiosity.

The ebony warrior did mind it, but not as much as he thought he would. Maybe because it reminded him of Maria, how the sickly girl would sneak out of her quarters -causing terror for the unfortunate fool that stood guard outside her room, for Gerald was not a merciful man- and join him in his bed. They would snuggle together, Shadow falling asleep as the little blonde child sang stories of tall castles, mighty dragons and merciful princes. The second Ultimate Lifeform's actions were his own, that Shadow knew, but the way the other kept coming back to his side despite his various warnings reminded him too much of Maria, so he let the little sapphire creature be.

Sonic's scent was also a good deterrent, keeping him from lashing out. The memory of the tantalizing, spicy smell was ever present in the back Shadow's mind since the first time he'd caught it, but he forced it into a corner of his head and did his best to ignore it. He didn't want to think about the curious reaction he had to the sapphire creature' almost hypnotic scent.

He had to figure out what to do with the idiot first.

Unfortunately, his best spy in G.U.N. had yet to contact him since the infiltration of the isolated base, so Shadow was left sitting there with nothing to do. He could pursue his side goal of collecting all of the Chaos Emeralds, maybe even discover the location of the rumoured Master Emerald, but with Sonic around as a dead weight he was hesitant. The black hedgehog was one to look for practicality, and something told him that Sonic would be more useful alive than dead.

Again, there was that smell. It was slowly spreading everywhere, soothing and making him angry at the same time. It frustrated Shadow to the point he had almost given in to his rage and shot the oblivious nuisance. More often than not, he found himself sitting on his couch reading documents while a satisfied Sonic relaxed in his lap, the cobalt one just small and agile enough to curl up there comfortably. It seemed as if the black male bruising his wrist hadn't made the sapphire idiot understand that he wasn't wanted there.

Shadow had pushed him off the first few times, even going as far as slapping the blue youth over the head and pinching his sensitive cat-like ears, but he had given in after he found himself able to concentrate better on the files with the sapphire male nearby, his scent soothing him and making him relax for the first time in months since his escape from his own cryogenic chamber on Prison Island. The endless attempts the determined ball of fluff had committed in a effort to snuggle with him were also a reason to give up and allow the blue one to use him as a couch. Shadow preferred pretending this never occurred, and would ignore the blue idiot when the smaller one used him as a pillow..

Normally he would be perturbed that someone -especially a fool like his charge- had this level of influence over him, but he knew that Sonic was no danger. The other was half his weight and probably possessed only a fourth of his strength -speed and agility were his only redeeming traits, and that wasn't anything Shadow couldn't beat. He could only wonder once more why was the cobalt hedgehog created. Infiltration? Espionage? He had the build for it...

...but in the condition he was in, it didn't really matter. Sonic had yet to regain full control over his basic functions. He could walk just fine -his gait was different from Shadow's brisk, effective steps, more gracile and bouncing, as if those long blue legs held more energy than he could expend. His communication skills were the only thing missing, as well as his memory, which was flimsy at best.

Shadow had tried to communicate with the smaller Ultimate Lifeform, to interrogate him of the time before the cryogenic chamber, but the blank, confused expressions he received in return were quick to curb his need for answers.

Sonic was useless; he would need to continue investigating G.U.N. if he wanted more answers as to why the sapphire hedgehog had been built.

xxxxxxxxxx

If there was one thing the cobalt Ultimate Lifeform reminded Shadow of, it was a deer.

He was just as easily startled as the frail, gracile bovine, and now that they were outside, the elder saw the resemblance even more. Sonic was prancing across the plains, bouncing about happily, startling birds and insects and making them scatter. His crystalline laughter echoed across Green Hills, and Shadow had to force down the grin that threatened to overtake his lips.

Sonic's attitude was truly contagious.

This only cemented the fact that the blue hedgehog was no danger to Shadow. He was a Ultimate Lifeform, like himself, but he was too specialized on speed to be of any use against the ebony warrior. Shadow could only wonder if G.U.N. had tried to create more immortals after the failure giggling as he chased after a butterfly.

 _He's not a failure._ A smaller part of the dark one's mind muttered. _He's just not the blood lusting monster they wanted._ Ruby eyes narrowed thoughtfully as they followed the speck of cobalt buzzing about. A monster. _Right_. That was the last thing he would categorize the younger one as.

Maybe it was for the better; Shadow didn't see Sonic attacking anyone nevertheless going on a rampage.

In any case, it was wise to focus on the present. He had brought the younger one here for one reason, and once reason only; to test the sapphire's speed, and see if he was possessed some skill that would prove to be a danger to Shadow.

"Sonic!" He watched as triangular ears perked up and the cerulean hybrid shot towards him, eager to answer his call. Shadow almost rolled his eyes at this and told the azure to not stray away from him.

Sonic cocked his head to the side, but understood the command, for he stayed within ten feet of the older male. Judging from the small twitches and longing glances, he seemed to be itching to explore.

Shadow did not blame him. This zone was one of the most interesting Mobius had to offer.

This section of Green Hills was prone to terrible storms and howling winds, so the ground often rippled and shifted, causing the topography to change every few days. The land was also very porous and filled with nutrients, causing the vegetation to grow thrice as fast as anywhere else in this zone. The unstable ground of this small green paradise was so wild and difficult to travel that no mobian or Overlander dared to try living here. Shadow preferred it that way. The lush green plains were far more welcoming than the shades of grey ever present in the cities.

"Shadoooow!" The whine startled the ebony male out of his thoughts, forcing him to look around for his charge. A blur of blue zipped past him, the sudden wind ruffling his quills.

It was, however, the sudden sharp pain originating from one of his ears that made him falter.

Wait.

...did the little _shit_ just bite one of his ears?!

He lifted a hand and traced the hurting appendage, hissing as pain flared from the vulnerable and sensitive limb. It wasn't painful as the onyx warrior had dealt with worse, and the wound didn't seem to be very deep, but it still aggravated Shadow to the point of sending him into a frenzy. Scarlet orbs scanned the plains, quickly picking out the cerulean figure standing idly a few feet in front of him, a hint of mirth and challenge within the gleaming emerald orbs.

"Now," He glared at the cobalt hybrid, who returned his examining, slightly murderous scowl with a happy grin. "Let's see how fast you can run, Sonic." The menacing tone made the youth pause, smile slowly sliding off the peach lips as their owner witnessed the older Ultimate Lifeform take a step towards him, eyes glowing eerily with Chaos.

Despite his damaged brain cells, the sapphire hedgehog had the intelligence of turning around and running as if hell hounds were nipping at his heels.

It was a apt description of Shadow at the moment, as the black warrior let out a mighty roar that made nearby feral birds scatter in haste before lunging after the fleeting figure, his special skates leaving distinctive scorch marks on the lush grass.

Sonic didn't even dare to look back as he zipped through the lush landscape, forcing his legs to move faster when he heard the elder approach behind him, slowly catching up. Shadow followed close behind, the momentary anger dying away as he was pleasantly surprised to see that the little cobalt male could run this fast. He could only wonder how fast the younger Ultimate Lifeform could go once he had the adequate shoes for such an activity.

Their chase quickly turned into a makeshift game of hide and seek, as Sonic grew more confident in his steps as well as the layout of the zone, and began purposefully slowing down only to accelerate when gloved fingers brushed against a glossy blue pelt. This in turn angered Shadow, who charged after the other, snarling in irritation as the lithe form stayed just barely out of his reach.

He was taken off guard when a resounding explosion came from Sonic, quickly followed by one of his own.

Dammit. He had theorized that the fool was fast, but this...

(It explained the name.)

Soft laugher came from his fleeting prey, making his eyes narrow in suspicion. Was this a game for the other Ultimate Lifeform? The way the other cheered and danced away from his grasp right under his hands pointed towards this theory. The happy chirps that bubbled out from the soft fawn lips each time he nearly caught the other was another clue.

This made the onyx warrior even more frustrated. Tail lashing, eyes blazing with Chaos, heart beating wildly in his chest and blood boiling, the darker male roared as he missed the other yet again. The spicy smell was so close now, yet so far away, it miffed the usually collected immortal. By now he had dropped all pretences and was now pushing his skates to the limits in a effort to catch the little blue blur.

They ran until the sun was set low against the horizon; Shadow's anger had calmed down to more manageable levels as his mind understood this as not a affront, but a simple game. The source of his annoyance had still to be caught, but the elder Ultimate Lifeform knew wouldn't be long now.

"I suggest you come down from there before you break a bone, fool."

His only answer was a snort. Shadow ignored it with practiced ease.

Sonic's sides were heaving, but his eyes were bright as he stared down at the ebony male with a winning smile full of mischievous innocence. He was perched on a tree branch -probably in a attempt to make the older hedgehog run pass him. It would have worked had the darker of the two not possessed a keen sense for detecting Chaos energy. Since he did have that gift, it had resulted in this staring match.

Shadow's eyes narrowed to slits as the younger's childish smirk widened. He felt strangely relaxed despite how the blue one was challenging him. Normally he would have never allowed someone to undermine him in such a way, but right now, and only now, he let the other was his way.

He could always have his revenge later. Shadow had learned a long time ago that revenge was dish best served cold.

Focusing on the Chaos Emerald safely tucked inside his quills, the darker of the hedgehogs stopped running after the other, which made Sonic frown at him, confused as to why the other's head was glowing a soft shade of red. Shadow merely offered his fellow hybrid a vicious, self-satisfied grin and two unfamiliar words:

"Chaos Control."

A loud squeal echoed off the empty plane of the Green Hills zone as a certain ebony immortal appeared directly behind the sapphire speedster; strong red-striped arms wrapped around a thin waist and lifted their captive off the branch, preventing any leverage the squirming male could use to get away. Sonic tried to wiggle out of his arms, only to yelp as Shadow jumped down the tree and landed nimbly on the grass, the younger hedgehog still cradled safely in his arms.

The elder male ignored the groan of protest as he made his way to a nearby hill, his skates helping him glide up the gentle slope with ease. Sonic whined again, this time with more force, and seeing he was once more disregarded, the little sapphire one reached up to nibble of the other's neck in attempt to gain the ebony warrior's attention.

Sharp ruby eyes spotted the action quickly however, the burning red gaze sufficiently vowing the cobalt youth. "Do you really want a repeat of last time?" Blue ears twitched at the rhetorical question, and Sonic answered it with a low mutter that made the corner of Shadow's lips twitch with amusement.

Blue eats flattened as their owner ducked his head submissively, going limp as the onyx warrior reassumed dominance between the two. Still carrying the unresisting sapphire form, Shadow reached the top of the hill and dropped down atop of the lush grass, panting loudly. Sonic was left in his lap, the blue one's wheezing breaths sounding even worse than his own.

The eldest Ultimate Lifeform looked up at the darkening skies, eyes narrowing at the constellation of stars that were slowly appearing over his head, the process slow but not enough for him to not pick it up. He was absorbed by the sight, the only thing dragging him out of his thoughts being a small pressure on his chin. Looking down, he raised a questioning eyebrow st the sapphire form on his lap.

Sonic offered him a impish grin before leaning up and biting at his chin again, this time more carefully. The action still irritated Shadow -as it was probably the other's goal, and the ebony male lifted a hand up and flicked a blue ear with his fingers, making his charge yelp and jump ungracefully.

The distasteful scowl the cobalt male offered the onyx warrior only brought a small amused grin on the tan lips of the Ultimate Lifeform. Shadow shook his head slightly in exasperation of his charge's shenanigans before looking back up, admiring the stars in silence. Sonic frowned in his lap, the cerulean speedster following the line of sight of the twin ruby orbs before widening at the sight of the luminous constellations.

Shadow unwillingly smirked at the gaping expression on the other's features. It wasn't much of a stretch to think that the younger hybrid had never witnessed such a scene in his isolated life.

"Amazing, isn't it?"

Sonic merely nodded dumbly, still caught up in the shock of seeing the nightly spectacle for the first time. Shadow shook his head before returning to his examination of the skies, unresisting of the strange feeling that made itself known at the flash of adoration dancing within the emerald orbs of his small companion.

(He wasn't supposed to get attached, but Shadow wasn't going to have it any other way.)


	4. Chapter 4

**I really have to stop making a new chapter in a hour. It's bad for my health XD**

 **Just kidding. I'm kind of amazed how much this story is liked. It was supposed to be a practice -hell, I was thinking of leaving it at chapter 2- but with the amount of support it has, I'll go through with it.**

 **It's good work too, that way I can improve the romance aspect of my writing. I've never been good conveying the emotions of the characters, so...**

* * *

"Stop whining."

His only answer was another whine.

At this point, Shadow was too exasperated with the blue one to glare.

He eyed with distaste the slim sapphire figure on the bed, noting how the other tried to not whimper as his fingers trailed over the swollen feet. The sole of the limbs were cracked and burnt, and only a ample amount of alcohol had prevented infection -though being a Ultimate Lifeform Shadow believed the younger hedgehog could fight it off.

The ebony male didn't want to take any chances however. He should have known those old shoes wouldn't be able to survive such high speed. He has known and he had let the other run around breaking the fucking sound barrier like it was nobody's business.

Now Sonic was paying for it.

Checking the wounds once more to make sure they were cleaned of the dirt and strips of cloth that has once been shoes, Shadow leaned down and began wrapping the small feet in bandages after applying a healing cream on the injured appendages. Sonic shifted beneath him, the soft hiccup leaving the fawn lips a sign of how much the cerulean hedgehog was at least trying to keep things quiet. It seemed as if the younger Ultimate Lifeform remembered how much he hated unwanted dramatics. Shadow was mildly impressed by that. It seemed that Sonic payed attention -when he wanted to, at least.

"There. Done." Giving the bandaged feet one last look over, the onyx male impulsively reached down and gave the top of the other's sweaty head a light, comforting nuzzle. Sonic leaned against the touch, ears lowering as he took comfort in the gesture, and Shadow froze when he realized what he was doing.

Quickly pulling back, the black hedgehog grabbed the blankets and pulled them up to the other's chin. Sonic squawked at the sudden movement but accepted it quickly, dropping down and curling up on top of the single white pillow, content in the sea of soft, fluffy sheets.

He paused when he felt a pair of hands brush against his chest fur, drawing his attention. Looking down, he was treated with a sight that made his blood boil; Sonic was reaching up awith both of his arms and caressing his chest fur softly, gleaming green eyes looking up at him pleadingly. The light from the ceiling was reflecting off the cerulean fur, accentuating the soft curve of his hips and the small, perky blue tail waving lazily behind him.

It took every inch of self control to not lean down and...he didn't know, but his instincts were screaming for something and Shadow knew he had to fight it.

(But when had the other looked so..so...)

The spicy, enticing smell wasn't helping. He gulped, trying hard to make his mouth moist again, as it felt as if it was made out of wood.

A sharp tut on the sensitive white fur spurned him into action, snapping him out of his fantasy.

"No." Shadow reprimanded harshly, pushing the other's small arms back down under the covers. Sonic gave out a soft groan of frustration, which he ignored. "Sleep, fool. You'll need it."

"You...no stay?" The ebony hybrid found himself unwillingly smirking at the other's voice. Due to his damaged throat -and pretty much everything else- Sonic rarely spoke, even if he had been getting better since his release. The black male found the frail one's young, soft voice to bring him a strange sense of comfort and peace, even if the blue hedgehog spoke rarely.

"No, I'm not staying." Shadow half-corrected, feeling a bit irritated that he had to repeat his words. In the last few days, he had learned that Sonic possessed the attention span of a hummingbird; repeating things had become of the norm, and he was starting to get used to it. "I have things to do, and you need to rest."

"But..."

"Sonic," Shadow warned with a hiss, feeling satisfied when he saw the triangular ears lower at the dangerous tone. "...if you take one step off that bed, I'll make you wear a tracking collar."

The blue hedgehog ducked his head into the blankets and gave out a whimper at that, but Shadow's keen eyes picked up the grimace the other made before disappearing under the bedsheets.

Frowning at the strange gesture, but too impatient to get back to work -despite the poor choice it made, G.U.N. wasn't crumbling by itself- Shadow chalked this behaviour up to Sonic's unpredictability and left the room with a muttered goodnight, turning the lights off and gently closing the door behind him, all while trying to force down the small amount of guilt he felt at the sight of the young speedster confined to his bed -as well as trying to forget the strange flash of want he'd felt when the other had touched his chest fur.

What happened Sonic's feet hadn't been for the best, but the sapphire one had been taken care of. The limbs would heal in a few hours, and by then Shadow would have found something adequate for the other to wear without the risk of the footwear melting into his skin as soon as he broke the speed of sound.

But for that, he would need to visit a few people.

Shadow idly wondered if Ivo Robotnick was still awake in this time of the night. Knowing the man, he probably was.

(That worked in his favor.)


	5. Chapter 5

**Been a while. Sorry. Gonna update it sooner, as the next chapter is mostly written out.**

* * *

In Shadow's eyes, engaging in a meeting with Robotnick was much like talking to a diva.

Family relations be dammed, the man was madder than a psychopath, had the social skills of a starving feral squirrel and had a ego bigger than the ARK. Hadn't the scientist proven to be so useful in the past time and time again, Shadow might have avoided him entirely when it came to the cause of his visit.

As much as he hated saying it, Ivo had his strengths; the old human was a genius with boundless knowledge when it came to robotics and biology.

The fact that he controlled one fifth of Mobius and was a eternal torn at G.U.N.'s side also redeemed him somewhat in the Ultimate Lifeform's eyes. It may be petty and very childish for a collected and intellectual being such as Shadow, but he grew to tolerate and even enjoy the company of anyone who was in the organization's shit list.

It was almost a seal of approval, really.

A single glance was enough for the metal guards to step aside, allowing him entrance to the heart of the youngest Robotnick's country, a isolated castle structure standing atop of a hill, overlooking a budding city. The metal creatures stared at him in silence, watching his every move. He didn't care of the possible danger however. He was no human. Even with Robotnick's impressive skills and alarming creativity, no machine could hope to match the breathing weapon of mass destruction.

That was one of the reasons Ivo allowed him to make decisions concerning the laws of the zone, and was the cause of the man's organic subjects being able to sleep tonight with a full belly and head to continue their pitiful life on the next day. The citizens had gained a slight hero-worship of him, but he couldn't bring himself to correct that. As much as he preferred to be seen as emotionless, Shadow had a bit of a ego and seeing people bow down to him without hesitation stroke the fire.

Ruby eyes glanced up at the emblem of the base and their owner couldn't help but sigh at the pitiful name.

Eggmanland was proudly engraved on the metal, almost as if their owner saw nothing wrong with it.

Madness. Complete and utter madness.

Shadow shook his head and walked inside, intent on blocking the crazy out. He didn't really want to know why it was named as such. The ebony warrior just went with it and hoped whatever brain disease had ravaged Ivo's sanity wouldn't affect him as well.

(Then again, humans were such fragile things.)

"Oh hello there, Shadow!" That was the first thing he heard when he entered Robotnick's study, finding the man sitting at his desk working on a sphere-shaped robot with small arms. "It's been a while, old friend!" He sent down his wrench and gave the stoic ebony warrior a smug smile. "I was starting to think you got tired of me!"

"...it's been a week."

"Pah! Details, details!" The man exclaimed, waving it off. "So, what brings you here?"

"I found the second Ultimate Lifeform."

Silence.

"...ah." The Robotnick said delicately. He quickly recovered from his surprise however, and smirked down at the indifferent ebony mobian. "Well, was it a good fight? I haven't heard much about it from my spies unfortunately, apart that the body wasn't found. If you took it, can I have it? It would be a interesting study-"

"He's still alive." Shadow cut in carefully, rendering the man speechless. "I came to you so you would craft shoes for him."

"...I never took you as the compassionate one."

"It's different." Shadow looked away, eyes settling on the sole window of the room. The sprawling city could be seen below, tall silver skyscrapers gleaming under the sunlight. "...they wanted him to die. There was next to no security."

Robotnick shifted uneasily in his seat. "It's mustn't have been that bad-"

"He can barely speak, and I had to carry him out of there." Shadow snapped, watching as the man went still with surprise. "They put him in a defective cryogenic chamber, and left him for dead." The black male explained with a displeased hiss, face twisting with a sneer. "The base was half-abandoned when I arrived. They didn't care if he died; they must have been hoping for it."

"...that's unfortunate, and very unlike them. G.U.N. must have really thought this creation to be hopeless if they let you have it so easily."

"His name is Sonic." The black hedgehog replied automatically, eyes widening slightly as he realized what he just said. Ivo peered down at him with amusement, enjoying the frustration dancing in the ruby eyes.

"Finally growing a heart, eh Shadow?"

"Shut up." The irate warrior snarled, ears flicking. "We need to go back to the matter at hand. He needs proper footwear."

"I'll build those shoes, but on one condition."

"...what is it." Shadow's flat tone made the man falter.

Both of them knew that Robotnick was playing with fire. Family relations didn't matter much to Shadow, so it would be no surprise if the black male forced him to comply. The only reason he wasn't doing so was due to Ivo's usefulness.

"I want to study him." A dangerous gleam flashed in the carmine eyes at that, and Ivo quickly raised his hands in defence. "I-It's a wonderful opportunity for you to understand how he works, how G.U.N. recreated the Ultimate Lifeform program! If he ever goes against you, wouldn't you want to know his limits?" "Besides, a better understanding of his body would make it easier for me to heal him if he ever gets injured!"

Injured. Shadow's anger wilted at the thought. Ultimate Lifeform or not, he didn't know if Sonic had the same resistance to poison, fire or bullets. Advanced healing yes, they had learned that from the shoe incident, but everything else...

He's too different. I can't expect his abilities to be similar to mine.

There was also the fact that the blue one was made by barely competent scientists at G.U.N. He didn't have the years of work and dedication Gerald had put on Shadow.

The ebony hedgehog sighed. He had hoped he would get the shoes ready before the cobalt hedgehog worked up, but it seemed as if he had been pushed into a corner. He couldn't back down. Sonic needed the apparel and he couldn't alienate one of his best and most powerful allies.

"Fine."

Robotnick's smile grew. "I take you accept?" The man exclaimed eagerly, looking ready to take off to prepare the necessary instruments for the procedure.

"I'll bring him in...but if you try anything, I'll hang you by the toes, got it?

"Mhh. Just bring him in, Shadow. I'll take care of the rest."

The Ultimate Lifeform wasn't so sure but then again, it was Ivo's grave, not his.

xxxxxxxxxx

Ivo's reaction at the sight of Sonic had been...interesting. The man had taken one look at the small, lithe figure, long legs and malnourished frame, skittish posture and lowered ears and had let out a bellowing laughter that had filled the entire room. Sonic hadn't found it funny however, and it had taken a thinly veiled threat from Shadow for the cobalt hedgehog to let go of the man's arm, which had been trapped between the small male's teeth.

Despite the fact they had started on the wrong foot however Ivo Robotnick was still eager to begin the testing, while Sonic looked eager to get out of here. Shadow was forced to stand in the sidelines, his frown deepening as he watched the events unfold.

Sometimes he wished he had shot the blue hedgehog.

This was one of those instances.

"This cold."

"I know, fool. Just shut up and sit down."

Sonic made a face at his biting command.

Shadow ignored the pouting as he gestured for the other to remove his shoes. The blue hybrid did so reluctantly, wincing as he gently tried to dislodge the article of clothing without further injuring himself. His bandaged feet came to view once the cotton socks were slid off and discarded; Shadow clenched his jaw at the sight of the battered appendages.

He could feel the weight of Robotnick's stare on his back but ignored, gently ushering the restless cobalt hedgehog onto the table. Sonic seemed reluctant to even be in the room, eyeing the pale walls and the rows of medical equipment lining the desks around him. Cerulean quills were flat against his head, and his ears were dropping.

The ebony male made the younger hybrid sit on the table before stepping back, allowing the human to come closer. Ivo eyed the small blue figure with interest; the way the man's eyes narrowed made something inside Shadow's chest prowl back and forth like a trapped wolf, lips curled back in a feral snarl. It took a great amount of self control for the Ultimate Lifeform's own lips to mimic the gesture.

Robotnick was unperturbed by the dark looks his grandfather's creation shot him from the sidelines, busy checking Sonic's features. He tested the sapphire quills, whistling appreciably as he pressed a bar of metal and watched as it bent outwards when he ordered the young male to stiffen his quills, turning the soft appendages into razor sharp blades. He looked into the immortal's eyes, ears, mouth, nearly prickling one of his fingers on the small but sharp canines of the young speedster, before he took a step back and gave Shadow a look, then pointing out the legs of the blue male.

"I'll need to scan him." The man explained, watching as the ruby eyes narrowed suspiciously. "I need to know how his body works."

Shadow examined him for a moment before nodding briskly.

"Alright." The carmine shifted to the blue hedgehog fidgeting on the table. "Come along, Sonic." The small ears perked up at the command, but Sonic did not move, gesturing his injured feet with a sheepish grin.

Rolling his eyes at the realization, Shadow walked over to the younger Ultimate Lifeform and swept him up in his arms as if he was a ragdoll. Sonic squeaked rather cutely at the motion, but the onyx male ignored him, turning around and giving the human a expecting look.

"Well?"

"Nothing." Ivo muttered, a amused grin slowly growing on his face at the amusing sight. Shadow offered the man a flat look. "Just follow me, the scanner is nearby." The large scientist gestured for him to follow before turning around and walking deeper into the chamber, where a large tube-like contraption sat, the upper section of the contained made of glass.

Shadow thought it looked disturbingly alike a cryogenic chamber.

Sonic seemed to have made the same connection, as he began trashing wildly in his grasp, his attempts to escape growing more desperate the closer they got to the machine.

"I'll be good...! Don't...d-don't lock me...away!" Shadow's restlessness increased tenfold at the warbled cry. Sonic's voice was high-pitched with distress, his vocabulary worsening as he gave into his panic. He tried to pet the other's ears, anything to calm him down, but Sonic was shaking his head in terror, tear tracks growing on his cheeks as he gave Shadow a look of betrayal and fear. "Please don't...!"

"We are not locking you away, fool." Shadow hissed as his grip tightened to the point of pain, trapping the other and and forcing him to listen to his words. Ivo watched from over the control panel of the scanner, looking highly interested in their interaction. "This is for medical purposes, idiot. This is going to scan your legs so we can figure out how to make those damn shoes, otherwise you're going to keep burning through them." He grasped a peach chin tightly, forcing the terrified cobalt to look into his hard, unflinching ruby orbs. "The last thing this machine is is a container."

At the end, the ebony hybrid's words seemed to have reached the quivering blue hedgehog, as he seemed to relax...although barely. Shadow could still feel the lithe form was still tense, ready to fight him off and take flight. The darker male had a inkling of a feeling that the only reason the other wasn't doing so because of their instincts. Sonic saw him as the dominant of the group, so his instincts would urge him to comply with his demands, no matter how unwillingness he was.

"...promise...?" The sheer brokenness in the sapphire's voice both surprised and confused the black male. Why would the other be so scared of being trapped? Was it the small space of the cryogenic tube he had been trapped in for Chaos knows how long?

Either way, standing here wasn't going to give him answers.

(He would have to contact his main spy in G.U.N. when this was over. The need for answers was growing too strong to ignore.)

"Yes." Shadow finally answered as he slackened his grip, feeling with satisfaction the hybrid's body completely slacken against his own at his words. "Now stay still, we have to get a look at those legs."

After that scolding Sonic didn't put up any more fight against going into the scanner, only offering a pleading look to his fellow Ultimate Lifeform as the said male quickly pushed him into the contraption. He lay down on the soft, gelatinous mattress, his posture practically glowing with unease. The glass case slid shut over him, slow enough for Shadow's ears to pick a small whimper before it closed.

Balling his hands into fists, the restless black hedgehog walked over to the control panel next to the last Robotnick. In front of him the machine came alive, humming loud enough to make the immortal's sensitive ears flick with distaste as it slowly began to display the first bits of information on the main screen.

A frown grew on the Ultimate Lifeform's face when he noticed the outline of a body slowly forming on the monitor. "You said it would only be the legs."

Ivo laughed at his words, waving him off. "Well, the full body would be more interesting. I get the information to make those pretty little shoes you begged me for-" Shadow glared. "-and at the same time, I get more data for my research! Win-win situation, really." He peered down at the data and whistled appreciably. "I'll take me a few hours to fully develop the readings, so I'll get back to you then."

"Good. Don't forget."

They lapsed back to silence. Shadow was used to it, but not his human companion. Adding to the injury, while they waited for the machine to finish gathering the necessary data Robotnick saw it fit to fill the said thick silence with his booming voice.

"Aren't you excited, Shadow?"

"Why would I be?" The onyx hybrid's tone alone would have killed a puppy.

"Well, the Comet is almost here! It's a cause for celebration!" The human exclaimed as he waved his arms around, uncaring of how the smaller creature eyed them, silently wondering how long would he last if he ripped the limbs off and waited for the man to bleed to death. "...if I remember correctly, the last time it was here you barely came out of Gerald's laboratory!"

Shadow frowned, looking away. The Comet. He'd never seen it in person, but he remembered Maria babbling excitedly about it during the first week or so after he left the life-support system for the first time. His eyes settled on the sapphire figure below, squirming slightly within his cage of metal and glass. It was clear that Sonic was growing more and more restless and eager to leave.

"...I had forgotten about that." The glum warrior admitted, gaining a indignant stare from the last human Robotnick.

"Why would you commit such a atrocity!?"

Shadow rolled his eyes at this. "It don't concern me, so I don't need to bother with it."

"Someday Shadow, that apathy is going to cost you." A loud chime came from the scanner as it finished it's work, drawing their attention. Sonic practically flew out of the capsule as the door slid open, ignoring the pain in his feet as he ran to Shadow and stuck to his side like a leech. The experience had clearly marked the younger immortal. "Anyways, all done! Come back in a few hours, I'll have everything ready for your pet."

Shadow frowned at the taunt, and the blue hedgehog at his side grimaced. A sharp command later, he signalled for Sonic to follow after him. The cobalt speedster trailed after the older male as the later headed towards the door. It was clear that he was eager to leave.

Robotnick watched them leave with a raised eyebrow. Once he was sure that the two hedgehogs were gone, the man whirled around and quickly ran to his main computer. A few commands later, the results of the scan came to be on the screen, and a barked command to the machine created a life-sized hologram representation in front of the eager scientist. The man pulled up the nearest chair and sat down in front of the small figure, examining the recreation with care, taking attention to every detail.

Ivo was quietly making notes of what he saw -especially the legs, if he could somehow recreate that for his robots, G.U.N. would never see it coming!- when he noticed something odd about the pelvic area of the hologram. He peered closer, only for his eyes to widen in realization.

"...I knew they were getting desperate, but _this_ takes the cake..."


	6. Chapter 6

While waiting for the results to be analyzed, Shadow decided it would be best to go grab food from Robotropolis. Sonic didn't stray far from his side as he walked through the city in search of a restaurant or market that satisfied his requirements. The ebony hedgehog ignored completely the sideway glances and gracious bows the citizens gave him, recognizing him easily due to his unique appearance.

Sonic didn't seem to notice the stares as he tugged Shadow along by his left arm, curious to explore his surroundings after spending years inside a cryogenic chamber. He admired the tall skyscrapers, bustling markets and street artists with wonder, only letting out a small shiver and hiding behind Shadow as a patrol robot walked pass them. The older male raised an eyebrow at this, but didn't comment. It was clear that the fool was still affected by his time in G.U.N. He understood that.

That tiny smudge of sympathy however quickly dried out when the cobalt hedgehog's stomach began growling.

"C-come on!" Sonic begged with a whine as he pointed the lone street cart out to the ebony warrior at his side, brilliant jade orbs shinning with hope. "...it...it looks good!"

Shadow was not impressed. "Fool," He began with a hiss. "...it's not healthy to eat dessert alone, especially ice cream."

"Please? I won't...get sick!"

He has a point. Being a Ultimate Lifeform does comes with its perks.

"But you can get fat, hedgehog."

"I'll run!" Sonic exclaimed with a scowl as he spun around and struck a small pose, showing off his lithe, athletic figure as a way to make the other understand that the last thing he would get is fat.

Shadow felt a headache growing at the sight, and he glared at the bystanders when he noticed that some of them were staring a bit too intensely at the younger male. The Ultimate Lifeform fought the urge to snarl and lash out at the mortals. They had no right to look at Sonic like that. The smaller immortal wasn't meant for their lustful eyes.

"So? Can we...?"

A heavy sigh left him. There is no winning with him, is there?

"Sure, hedgehog." The grumpier of the two growled, ruby eyes noticing the discrete staring of the surrounding mobians. Feeling a sudden urge of possessiveness, Shadow stepped forwards and wrapped a arm around the thin cobalt waist before guiding the younger Ultimate Lifeform to the ice cream stall.

Sonic let out a strange quiver when the dark arm snuck around his midriff, but seemed to accept the silent claim and eagerly followed his companion. After sampling a few of the ice creams, he settled on vanilla and waited for the older male to take care of things. Shadow quickly paid for the food before putting his arm back around the blue waist and walking towards the more touristic parts of the city. Strangely enough, the Ultimate Lifeform didn't feel uncomfortable or stupid holding the other this way, and rather enjoyed the younger's warmth.

A soft moan was suddenly in ebony ears, sending his blood boiling. Shadow looked at his charge, only to feel his throat go dry as the blue hedgehog enjoyed the mixture, uncaring of the white spots of vanilla that were left around his mouth. The peach lips gleamed under the sunlight, and it took a good chunk of self-control for Shadow to restrain himself.

...restrain himself from what, exactly? He didn't know, and it confused the calculative and stoic hedgehog.

Shadow looked away, determined to retain control of his basic functions. His wandering eyes ended up on a small, isolated table at the edge of the food court, hidden between a thick bush and a wooden wall. Not one to look at a gift horse in the mouth -well, at least in _this_ case- the obsidian immortal ushered his companion towards the table. Sonic offered no resistance, too focused on the icecream to care.

Then again, it was probably the first he ever had.

The two hedgehogs sat down and stayed there in relative silence, both immersed in different tasks. Sonic was finishing his meal, and Shadow was looking over the small plaza, wary of anyone that looked even remotely suspicious. It was highly unlikely that G.U.N. would have spies planted this deep inside Robotnick's territory, but it never hurt to be careful.

"D-Done!"

A loud, raspy chirp drew his attention back to the blue hedgehog sitting by his side. To the ebony male's relief, Sonic had finished the cone, and was now licking his tubs to get rid of the leftover vanilla. Shadow stared at him for a few moments, feeling his mouth go dry at the sight, before stiffly getting up and grabbing some napkins from a vendor.

He returned to his charge's side and silently handed the items to the blue hedgehog. Sonic muttered a short thanks before using the napkins to clean his face and hands, before tossing them in a nearby trash.

Task done, he leaned back against his seat, content. The two Ultimate Lifeforms stayed there, sitting quietly next to each other, neither too willing to break the silence.

"Thanks...for the...food, Shadow..." The darker of the two quirked a eyebrow at the younger's comment breaking the uneasy silence. Sonic was leaned against him, his small shoulder pressing against his bicep. Blue ears were perked up and his eyes were wide and shiny, the sight strangely enough endearing to the elder. "You're really...nice..!"

It seemed as if the other wasn't too keen on being still for so long.

"I'm not _nice_ , hedgehog."

"...you...are." Sonic bobbed his head up and down in a nod, banishing the other's words. His cheerful demeanour dissipated. "You could have...killed me. You didn't."

Shadow felt a strange surge of panic at those words. "This isn't about the ice cream anymore, is it?" He asked plainly, ignoring how his heart skipped a beat when the other smiled up at him, jade eyes soft and welcoming.

Fucking hell...what was the hedgehog doing to him...?!

"No...it isn't." Sonic looked down at his feet. "You...took care of me. Y-You didn't hurt me...much." A small chuckle escaped a unwilling Shadow at the memory of the couch incident, and Sonic offered the larger male a small smile, his features losing the dark cloud hovering over them. "You're better than them...you never used me..." He looked away once more, ears lowering in a shoe of submission. "...nobody was ever nice to me..." His voice was almost wishful. Green eyes looked back up at his red ones, suddenly filled with gratitude and shy determination. "That's why I like you...you make me happy...and...I've never...f-felt like this before..."

Sonic leaned closer, and Shadow felt something within him tighten as he felt the young cobalt male leave a small kiss on his right cheek. He stiffened upon contact, feeling his blood begin boiling anew and his base instincts screaming at him to do something. And the smell was thicker now, sweeter and spicier, drawing him in...

The ebony male was unable to stop himself from turning his head towards the cobalt speedster and pressing down, tan lips catching surprised peach. His hands reached out and grabbed the other's forearms, drawing him closer as the taste of the blue one's mouth made his head spin. Sonic tasted like fucking heaven, a mixture of spice and sugar with a hint of the leftover vanilla that have his hold over the smaller on tighten.

His tongue brushed against peach lips, commanding them to open. Sonic did so willingly, a shiver travelling his lithe form as the elder explored his mouth for the first time. Shadow took care to caress every knock and cranny, smirking against the blue one's lips as he heard Sonic moan and whimper through the kiss.

His blood boiled and his heart roared in victory as the speedster leaned closer, unable to pull away. Shadow couldn't either, and it took a lot of restraint to not pick the blue hedgehog, spin him around, press his willing form down against the table, slip into that wet, tight heat, ravage his soft body like a savage and to hell with the people watching them, they might as well enjoy the damn fucking show because it wasn't often that you saw two Ultimate Lifeforms go at it.

With one last roll of his tongue Shadow reluctantly pulled away, warm ruby eyes looking down at dazed emeralds.

"...wow..." Sonic seemed to have as much trouble as him regaining his motor functions, and Shadow was sure that if the cobalt one hadn't been already sitting his leg would have given out beneath him.

The older Ultimate Lifeform couldn't help but chuckle at the satisfying sight, pulling the other closer so the slender figure was sitting on his lap. Sonic squeaked at the motion, but accepted it and laid his head down against a black shoulder, content.

Shadow closed his eyes and let his head drop atop of a quilled head, content. The blue one squirmed slightly in his hold, but a slight tightening of his arms was enough to soothe the sapphire male. The darker of the two smirked against the short cobalt fur, enjoying how things ended up.

It had been a while since he'd felt this happy.


	7. Chapter 7

Shadow left Sonic back at the safe house, the blue hedgehog exhausted by the events of today. While he was a Ultimate Lifeform, the younger one was still recovering from his stay in the defective cryogenic chamber, and the last thing Shadow wanted now was for the sapphire one to be injured or aggravate his condition because they hadn't been careful enough.

Besides, there would be plenty of time to get used to each other once Sonic was healed...

It was with that pleasuring thought that Shadow entered Robotnick's personal laboratory, with his lips still tingling from the heavenly kiss.

"Back again, hedgehog?" The human barely looked up from the file he was reading. Pencil in hand, the scientist was scribbling down some notes on another sheet of paper -and right next to it, there was an already sizeable pile.

"Yes." Shadow affirmed as he took a nearby chair and dropped down on it, his eyes gaining a hint of curiosity as the man didn't even look his way. For Ivo to be so caught up in his work, it had to be something very interesting and seeing what they had done today, it had to relate with Sonic. "Have you found anything particular?"

"Many things, Shadow, many things indeed." The last Robotnick exclaimed, eyes still not leaving his research papers. "For starters, that injury of his on the throat will be unlikely to fully heal; he must have spent at least ten years in that container." Finally looking up, the man turned to his computer and entered a code. A digital image of a familiar blue hedgehog appeared, and was quickly zoomed into the neck area. "I believe that the ice of the cryogenic chamber didn't form properly around his neck, and as such the water 'rotted' his vocal cords. Since it's such a delicate organ, it is unlikely it will ever fully heal in the correct manner, but we can still hope."

"I was starting to think that." The Ultimate Lifeform hummed. "His throat remained as it was even after a few days with me. If I had such injury, I would have been able to regenerate the damaged tissue in a matter of hours."

"Indeed." Robotnick said absently as he grabbed a pile of papers and handed them to Shadow. "Here, this is everything you need to know."

The ebony hedgehog stared at the offered files for a moment before looking back at the human with irritation. "What are you plotting about, Robotnick?" The immortal said with a hiss, the threat in his voice driving the man to turn his full attention to the obsidian warrior. "You don't normally brush off something like this so quickly."

"I do."

"We both know you love the sound of your own voice more than anything else." Scarlet eyes widened in realization. "What did you find?"

"What I'm researching," The scientist said with a growl, resting the pencil down on the desk before crossing his arms over his chest. "...is none of your concern, as you already have the documents you asked of me, and the shoes will be ready soon." At the dangerous gleam in Shadow's eyes, the man continued, his tone just as dry and impatient despite the looming threat to his life. "...but if you want to know, I'm mumbling because I don't understand why G.U.N. gave our blue friend a little extra."

Shadow quirked a eyebrow at this. "...and what would that be cause for concern?" The dark hedgehog wondered, looking down at the files on the desk with suspicion. "Gerald added many things that normal mobians don't have."

"My grandfather's work was different." Robotnick defended with a huff. "He didn't do things in a half-assed manner, and he certainly didn't stuff a female reproductive system in your bowels."

Ruby eyes widened.

" _ **What**_?!"

"It's quite incredible, really." Robotnick babbled, ignoring the ebony hedgehog's gaping expression as he turned around and commanded his computer to recreate a hologram of the cobalt Ultimate Lifeform again. After demanding a version that showed only the insides of the youngest immortal, the man pointed at the pelvic area and allowed Shadow to come to his own confusion. "It's well hidden, and you would need to really look between his legs to notice it. The only thing I'm worried about is that if he ever got pregnant, there will be complications."

"But...that's not possible." Shadow tried weakly, his eyes fixed on the hologram. He could see the source of their discussion in the young hedgehog's pelvis, just behind the pouch of the male reproductive system.

"Of course it is. One thing I found interesting is just his different his gene pool is next to yours. You both have the same base, but his blood contains less mobian hedgehog DNA than you. In fact, ten percent of his genetic coding comes from a native specie known as Mobus Apteryx Haastii."

"Kiwi." Shadow said flatly, all surprise sucked out of his features as he gave Robotnick one of the most exasperated expressions the man had ever seen on the Ultimate Lifeform. "He has the genes of a Mobian Great Spotted Kiwi."

Ivo gave out a gentle hum at his indignant companion. "A female one, to be exact." The human added helpfully, the ghost of a smile lighting his lips as Shadow's right eye twitched uneasily. "I think G.U.N. chose the Kiwi bird for their reproductive capabilities." At Shadow's blank look the man was quick to explain. "I looked it up, and as it turns out, the Kiwi has the biggest egg to body ratio in any bird specie, feral or civilized. They are known to have one of the shortest pregnancies in the mobian community, and their child are much more developed at birth than any other non-feral animal."

 _Shortest pregnancies..._

 _Much more developed at birth..._

(He felt betrayed.)

"Breeder."

"Huh?"

"They made him as a breeder." Shadow said with a snarl, body trembling with suppressed rage. "G.U.N. wanted to open the Ultimate Lifeform program again. That's why they created him."

Robotnick nodded at this. "Natural birth would be cheaper than spending millions of dollars per one Ultimate." He whistled appreciably, looking back at the hologram in wonder. "That's smart."

"No it isn't." Shadow hissed venomously.

"It is. I am surprised in the amount of work they put to make him irresistible for other members of his specie." The human said, ignoring how his older companion stiffened at his words. "For example, he has some genes from a Mobus Euphydryas editha, which allows him to excrete a constant amount of sex pheromones.

"A butterfly. Not only a bird, but a butterfly as well."

"Indeed." Ivo admitted softly, noting the other's restlessness. "I can give you the full list of genetic donors, but it's quite long."

Shadow sighed tiredly, but Ivo noticed the faint tightening of gloved hands, as well as the slight crackle of Chaos around the forearms of the ebony hedgehog. The Ultimate Lifeform was like a coming storm, struggling to contain his rage and hatred for G.U.N.

...seeing as the Commanded had gone underground, there was only one target for the weapon of mass destruction to unleash on.

Ivo pitied the blue hedgehog.

xxxxxxx

"You knew."

The fact that Sonic looked down guiltily only cemented his accusation.

"Why?" He snarled, anger boiling in his veins as the smaller male flinched and shuffled back, ears lowering submissively in a attempt to calm him down. It wouldn't work; not in the state the elder was in. "Why the fuck wouldn't you tell me this?" Shadow roared, the darker side of him enjoying the fear growing in the jade eyes. "Was it your goal? To spread your legs, let me fuck you like a whore before running back to G.U.N. and spend your life giving birth to weapons?!"

Sonic gave him a indignant look of surprise. "No! W-Why would you...think of such things?!" The sudden burst of anger in his voice took Shadow for surprise, and halted his advance. The blue one seemed to have realized it, as he looked away, ears lowering. Shadow's instincts purred at the sight. "It's just that..."

"Well?!" The acidic hiss colder than ice made the younger male shiver.

"Since...since I was created, t-they told me." Sonic muttered, looking at the ground in dejection. "They told me...you would be my mate...and I...I was only meant for...that..." He didn't need to clarify what it meant. "I used to hate you, you know...y-you would take away...what little freedom...I had. They...they told me I...spend my life in a room, and you would coming in every few months and...and..."

"It stills doesn't explain why you lied to me, fool."

"Y-you didn't ask! Ho...how should I have...told you?"

"Telling me should have been the first thing you should have done the moment you opened that fucking lying mouth of yours!" Shadow roared as he took a step towards the blue hedgehog, Chaos cracking around him. Sonic wasn't quick enough to see the blow coming, and cried out as he slammed against a wall, a sinister crack echoing across the room as he slid to the ground, clutching his side and whimpering.

Sides heaving, eyes wide and bloodshot with anger, Shadow lunged at the defenceless male and roughly grabbed him by the quills before throwing him across the room was more. Part of him screamed in horror as the sapphire hedgehog pressed against a wall, looking down and ear lowered, still not trying to defend himself from the rampaging male. Another, bigger part of him laughed in victory. Too long had G.U.N. controlled his life; he would not allow them to have even the slightest amount of control over him.

As strange and warm Sonic made him feel, he was too much of a liability. Too much of a danger to him, too much of a hinderance G.U.N. could use.

He couldn't trust the blue hedgehog, not anymore.

"Chaos Spear!"

The lance tore through the chamber, slamming right next to Sonic as the blue speedster scrambled aside. The cobalt one managed to avoid the brunt of the attack, and tumbled to the ground, clutching his bleeding right side in silence, only soft sniffles coming from him.

The sounds made Shadow come to a stop, the scarlet eyes taking in the sorry sight through a dimming red haze.

Wide, terrified green eyes stared up at him, filled with tears.

All too suddenly Shadow snapped out of it and saw. He saw the blood on his own hands, he saw the broken figure laying curled up against the wall in a faint attempt to hide, he heard the quiet sobbing and he could smell the terror coming from the smaller immortal.

What had he done?

"Sonic..." _Gods_. In a fit of blind rage he had attacked the younger immortal, without even bothering to acknowledge his side of the story. What kind of monster was he?

G.U.N. had controlled the both of them throughout most of their lives. What right had he to attack Sonic when he was as much as a victim as himself? Just like him, Sonic hadn't wanted to to be created. He didn't ask for this, not any of this.

And Shadow had destroyed that fragile trust, and it would be unlikely that he would ever get it back.

"Sonic..." He breathed softly, reaching out for the quivering figure.

Sonic's eyes widened and he flinched, a shaky whine escaping the defenceless male.

"Get away..." The younger whimpered, shuffling back, pressing himself against the wall as if he wanted to disappear.

(What had he done?!)

"Sonic, I'm sorr-" Shadow began hesitantly, but then he saw something that made him stop and stare. The smaller's beautiful emerald orbs had vanished in a sea of white, and the delicate face was twisted into a mask of hatred. The temperature of the chamber shifted abruptly, going from near boiling levels to a icy winter that made even the black and red hedgehog shiver.

" _ **G** e **T** a **WA** y_!" Sonic shrieked, castling his arms in front of him defensively as frigid Chaos swirled around him, waiting to strike.

A flash of light blinded Shadow, nearly burning his eyes out of their sockets. He cried out, reaching blindly for the cobalt hedgehog in a attempt to shield him from this unknown threat, but he stumbled and fell on his side.

Scarlet eyes dazedly blinked away the after effects of the light before looking around in a panic, searching for a spot of blue and peach as Shadow shakily stood up, ignoring the scorch marks now littering the room, all focused on the spot the cerulean hybrid was -or rather, had been, as there was now a distinctive lack of cobalt hedgehogs in the room.

"Sonic?! Sonic!"

All he was greeted with was heavy silence.

xxxxxxxx

It was cold.

It was bright.

He was falling.

 _Downdowndown_ -

"What the hell-"

"Knuckles, catch him!"

Falling stopped.

Warmth.

He closed unseeing eyes and sighed.

 _Shadow_...

"Gods, he looks half dead!"

Darkness.

* * *

 **Really sorry for this. Had to happen for the story to progress the way I want it.**


	8. Chapter 8

**FINALS.**

 **That is all.**

* * *

Emerald eyes slowly fluttered open as their owner gradually regained consciousness. A blue form shifted beneath soft covers, slowly rising up to a sitting position. A long yawn left the creature, who dazedly looked around, still struggling to banish the heaviness of sleep from his bones.

A tired Sonic frowned at his surroundings, taking in the light peach walls, dark green bed and large, open windows. This was not Shadow's home, that he quickly realize upon noticing that the floor was not metal, but made out of wooden planks. The windows were another clue, lacking in the elder's house due to the bunker being underground.

Where was he?! He clenched the fabric tightly in his hands, wandering eyes settling on his lap. He could be back there, trapped again, waiting to be put in that chamber... His breath hitched as his panic -and heartbeat- rose, making him stumble out of the bed and have to hold on to the edges of it for support. Cobalt legs trembled beneath him, just as weak as the rest of him, and his feet throbbed slightly, echoes of pain rising up and making him wince. Looking down, the terrified blue hedgehog noticed that his bandages had been changed, and new ones were wrapped around his torso.

G.U.N. never took care of his wounds...they usually waited for the healing factor to kick in...

"You're awake." The sudden, rumbling voice was like a burning knife of fear being thrusted into his heart; Sonic yelped as he whirled around towards the source of the sound, hands scrambling to grab onto the wall as he nearly lost his balance.

The source of his misery was sitting in a isolated corner of the room, arms crossed and dubious purple eyes staring deep into his soul. The creature was a mobian, a echidna specifically, with a strong stature and large hands armed with sharp spines in the knuckles. A eyebrow was raised at the blue one's antics, but the echidna didn't seem perturbed, only amused and mildly sceptical. Of what, Sonic didn't know.

He looked around, feeling like a cornered deer the longer the silence stretched on. Should he go for the windows? Maybe throw something at the mobian as a distraction...? What should he do?! I wish Shadow was here...

( _He's the **reason** you're here_ , a part of him hissed from the darkest corner of his mind.)

-white hot flash of pain blooming from his side, he crumbled, unable to stay on his feet, hateful ruby eyes staring down at him as if he was nothing but the dirt at the bottom of his shoes, Chaos crackling and churning around strong hands that once held him so tenderly-

"You should calm down." Blinking numerously as his attention returned to the living world, Sonic found that the echidna was suddenly right in front of him, a heavy mitt landing on his right shoulder in what would be considered a reassuring gesture. He had a brief moment of panic at how easily the other had moved without him noticing, but that was quickly eclipsed when he noticed the concern hidden within the amethyst eyes. The calmness in the other's gaze reminded him of the nicer scientists that actually treated him as a living being back before G.U.N. had abandoned him. "This shouldn't be healthy for you."

Sonic flinched and looked down, ears lowering in shame. "S-sorry..." He stuttered awkwardly, not knowing where to look. Glancing back up, he noticed that the echidna was frowning at the strange raspiness of his voice.

The creature was examining his face, the frown deepening as Sonic shifted uncomfortably, not knowing where to look. The weight on his shoulder lifted and the cobalt hedgehog looked back at the echidna's face, silently asking for answers.

"Tails will need to take a look at that. Follow me." The older male grunted, heading to the door. Noticing the lack of footsteps sounds coming from behind him, the scarlet being turned around and asked with a hint of a command, while still keeping that soothing softness that kept the young speedster from panicking; "Are you coming?"

Sonic shuffled after him hesitantly, pausing to look back at the bed. He blinked, glanced at the echidna, before shuffling to the bed, quickly straightening it out, then limping after the Crimson mobian. The echidna watched him in silence, amused by his actions.

"Taking up household chores, hedgehog?"

The sapphire male pouted. "Nothing like...that! Just...returning the favor."

"Well," The echidna chuckled at this. "...you can pay us back once you are healthy enough to work. Until then, try not jostling your wounds." The creature paused, before looking down at the smaller mobian critically. "What's your name?"

"Sonic."

The taller one shrugged. "Weird, but I'm not one to talk. My name's Knuckles."

 _Indeed you are._

"Come on, follow me." Knuckles asked as he turned around and made his way out the door. "I'm starving, and I am sure you are as well." At the mention of food Sonic's ears perked up, and he was suddenly all too aware of the growing hunger eating away at his insides.

Shadow wasn't here anymore, nor did he want him. He'll have to stand on his own two feet for this.

...but hopefully, he'll have people to lean on instead of depending like he had for most of his life.

(This new sense of freedom was both exhilarating and terrifying.)


	9. Chapter 9

**Holy crap this took a while.**

 **I've never been good at expositions, so yeah, this was good practice.**

 **Now this is out of the way, gonna focus on my two other stories. If I don't upload soon someone's gonna throw a pretzel at me or something...**

* * *

"So you're Sonic, huh? That's a strange name..."

Sonic blinked owlishly at this.

The fox seemed to have realized what he said, for he quickly backtracked:

"N-not that it's bad! It's actually and most certainly a great name!"

... _you're certainly not what I expected **either**._

Tails, as it turned out, was a small yellow fox with eyes as big as the moon and a wisdom beyond his age. The young mobian also had two fluffy gold tails tipped with white fur that swayed lazily behind him, only twitching nervously when the vulpine retracted his comment.

Sonic eyed the child sitting on the couch, torn between curiosity and surprise. A part of him cheered that he was in the presence of someone actually smaller than him -by a few inches- but Sonic felt a bit degraded when he remembered that this Tails was nothing but a kit. But then again, to be a infant and be as smart as the echidna had bragged as they walked down the stairs to a quaint living room, Tails had to be a genius.

At the word genius, the immortal's mind went back to the nosey bald human Shadow had introduced him to. He hadn't liked the man. At all. Sonic had always been wary of Overlanders, and the encounter with this scientist had left him quite frazzled.

This kit however was different. His eyes had a strange innocence that made something within Sonic chirp and want to cradle him close. The cobalt speedster could bet the remainder of his vocal cords that it was due to the bird DNA in his genes.

"My full name's Miles Prower, but I prefer to be called Tails." The fox continued blabbering, ignorant of the fact his audience was barely listening. "And if you as why, well." The yellow mobian merely twirled his namesakes, making them thump against the green couch loudly. Despite their small size, they looked strong, making the furniture shake and Knuckles, who was sitting at the other end of the jade furniture, scowl at the kit.

"Neat." Sonic said weakly, not knowing what to do. He'd never done a lot of socializing before. There weren't many G.U.N. personnel that saw him as something other than a test subject.

"Of course they are." Tails sniffed. "I'm different and proud! Besides; they're very useful." He winked mischievously.

"...how's t-that?"

"I can fly with them." The fox bragged, smile growing wider at the raised eyebrow. "It was hard to learn, but it's deadly useful, especially in tough situations."

 _I wish I could fly..._

"Not...to be...r-rude..." His throat felt parched; Sonic almost glowered at his drastically decaying voice. "Where...am I?"

"Huh. Knux wasn't kidding when he said your throat needed a look." Tails murmured with a frown, his expression deepening as he stared at the blue one's neck. "This is Knothole; it's in Mystic Ruins, a few miles away from Robotropolis." Tails said airily, not noticing how the blue hedgehog seemed even more confused and lost. The echidna at his side did however, and chuckled behind a thick woollen glove to keep the young child from noticing. "Kind of nice, don't you think?"

"Robotropolis?"

"Yeah, the giant ego-fest for Ivo Robotnick." He noticed the horror in the blue one's eyes and quickly explained. "He's not bad or anything! Well, unless he's stuffing animals into machines or turning people into robots, otherwise I'm fine living here." The vulpine took a sip of his tea before licking his lips, apparently satisfied with the sugar in the mixture. "It's certainly better than where I was before."

Sonic tilted his head to the side in wonder, emerald orbs staring curiously at the small fox. "Where was your...old h-home?"

Tails let out a soft hum. "I lived by Station Square, deep in G.U.N. territory, but I moved here a few years ago. They had too many restrictions, and I'm even sure that sneezing in public would be fined!" The kitsune joked, but the nervous twitching of his namesake told the sapphire hedgehog otherwise. Sonic could only wonder what the other went through. "They are quite desperate for money these days..."

Sonic glanced at the nearby echidna, who had stayed mostly silent since the beginning of the conversation. Now that he knew a bit more about the fox, his attention was turned to the crimson mobian. "How...did you two...meet?"

Tails laughed softly."Knuckles? Oh, I found him wandering the woods of Mystic Ruins during my first year here, blabbering about guarding his ancestral home and whatnot. I took him in. His muscle power is incredibly useful, since I'm...well..." He showed his thin, still-developing body and smiled sheepishly, making the blue hedgehog grin.

The echidna however didn't find it funny. He growled, low and threatening, but the fox waved him off before quickly changing subject. His blue eyes were on Sonic, radiating curiosity and wonder that made the young hybrid squirm.

"Anyways, I'm happy to see you're awake. I thought that Chaos Control would have done severe damage to your body, but you seem to have healed just fine..."

Sonic felt his heart skip a beat at his words. Chaos Control. He knew the proper term...just what was this child?! He had to be pretty involved with Chaos theory to come across the name of the technique!

"...Ch-chaos Control...? What...is that?" He asked, feeling his throat tighten even more at each word. He'd never been good at lying. This failure was rearing its ugly head in the worst of moments.

"Don't play us for fools." Knuckles suddenly snarled, the purple eyes all but stabbing into his own emerald ones. The hybrid flinched and looked down, his body letting out a shiver as he fought the instinct to run away and hide. "You appeared a hundred feet above the ground in a flash of light -that was Chaos Control. If Tails and I hadn't been passing by on the Tornado, you would have splattered your innards against the ground for the local wildlife to enjoy."

"What Knuckles is trying to say-" Tails began delicately with a soft voice, noticing the small shivers travelling the lithe form of the cobalt hedgehog. "-is that there's no need to hide. We aren't G.U.N. or part of any other research facility." The fox smiled shyly and reached out, grasping into a peach hand. Sonic saw the sincereness in the boy's smile and returned it with a shaky grin. "You're safe with us."

"Oh." The cobalt one stated softly, looking down at their joined hands. "I...thank you."

He wasn't one to trust people so easily, especially since the last time he'd blindly followed someone it had backfired spectacularly, but he couldn't help but be soothed by the innocence of Tails' words.

"You still have to talk, hedgehog."

 _And here came the fire that burned it all down._

Sonic sighed. He couldn't escape fate; besides, the fox was nice, and the echidna, despite his rough exterior, was kind in a different way. A gentle giant would be the best way to put it.

"...do you know...Shadow...?"

Tails blinked. "Shadow? Wait...as in Shadow, the Ultimate Lifeform?"

The speedster couldn't help but flinch.

His injured side ached at the sound of his supposed mate's name.

"...well...I'm...I'm like him. I was...with him...but we..." He winced, free hand going to his injured ribs. Sonic ignored how the baby blue eyes of the fox widened. "We...had a fallout..."

The young immortal felt the atmosphere in the room change at his words. Looking up, he noticed that Knuckles' eyes had narrowed thoughtfully, but the echidna had relaxed in his seat, apparently satisfied with his answer.

Tails however, had a whole different response, and far from a inactive one.

"Incredible!" The young kitsune breathed, literal stars in his eyes. "I've never met him, but I've always wondered how he came to be created! This is awesome!" The fox squealed and danced in his seat. "I've always wanted to know a Ultimate Lifeform! You're not Shadow, but you're certainly better. I've heard that he's a really grumpy fellow!"

You don't know half of it.

"Uh...thanks?" Sonic said hesitantly, looking over Knuckles. The echidna shrugged nonchalantly. It was clear that while he was a witness, the scarlet mobian preferred to stay away from the conversation. He didn't mind it.

The child was enough of a handful anyways.

"I wonder how fast you can heal! There has been rumors that Shadow once lost a arm to a fight with a Bigfoot robot and grew it back within minutes! Of course, we would need to...eer...do something drastic to test it..." At the horrified look from Sonic and the mildly worried one from Knuckles, the enthusiastic inventor quickly explained. "Not like I'll ever do that! I'm not G.U.N.!" A frown suddenly returned on his youthful face. "Even with this legendary healing ability, that throat of yours worries me..."

The second Ultimate Lifefrom hesitated for a moment before speaking:

"..could...c-ould you...fix...it?"

"Fix it?" The blue eyes twinkled as Tails stood up, his face a mixture of indignation and determination. "It's not a matter of could, but when!" The overexcited fox reached out for the cerulean speedster and grabbed him by the wrist before bodily dragging the larger mobian across the room and towards the hallway. "C'mon! My lab's got everything we need, but first I have to run some tests!" A giggle left the child. "It's not every day I get to examine a Ultimate Lifeform!"

Sonic didn't offer much resistance against the enthusiastic fox, only feeling slightly green to the face as he was dragged into what looked like a laboratory.

 _I should have stayed with Shadow..._

xxxxxxxx

The last thing Rouge expected when she came to do her weekly check on her bar was to find a familiar black hedgehog sitting there in a isolated table nursing a drink...at one o'clock. The sight of her most secret and important business dealer being in her bar in broad daylight both worried and surprised the white mobian, who knew just how violent her tentative friend could be.

Taking a deep breath, the young bat flexed her wings and strutted up to the charcoal male, sitting down at another chair next to his. Ruby eyes flicked up, noticing her, before looking back down as the ebony warrior clutched the drink tighter.

It seemed like Rouge had the work cut out for her.

 _Well, as long as he didn't pull off those rings, everything would be fine._

 _... **right**._

"Hey honey, weren't we supposed to meet next week?" The elder barely twitched at the sound of her voice. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to get a drink. What does it look like?" The ebony hedgehog muttered in most dejected voice she had ever heard from the black hybrid.

 _He's sourer than a lemon._

"Hmm. Wanna talk about it, hon?"

"No."

Silence.

 _Any time now..._

"I fucked up."

"Oh really?" Rouge pressed, interested despite her wariness of the ebony fighter. He wasn't one of the most know enemies of G.U.N. for no reason. Shadow had ample power to level a country if he wished to. "I thought as a Ultimate Lifeform, everything you did was perfect." At the following half-glare the white bat snorted. "It's a joke, dumbass. You're a perfectionist and you know it."

"Like hell I am." The disgruntled male took a long sip from the beer bottle before slamming it down on the counter. "I act on impulse, and things go so fucking wrong around me."

"...Shadow?" This was worrying. What could have happen for Shadow to have acted on impulse like that? The ebony hedgehog was too trained and hardened by past experience to lose control easily. Rouge let out a soft coo and patted one of his arms, grinning weakly as the male pulled away. At least there was a bit of his fire left. "You can tell me, hon. There's nothing I haven't heard before."

"It's about the second Ultimate. I...I found him." Shadow said with hesitation, a first for the master spy.

"I expected that, since I gave you the info in the first place. What about...him...?"

"I let him live, since he looked so damn pathetic. Next to no guard, damaged cryogenic chamber, completely secluded from the world..." He trailed off, eyes becoming unfocused again. "...he didn't have anyone. Barely remembered his own name."

"...and...?"

"I...I became...attached."

At first Rouge stared blankly at Shadow, not understanding what he meant, but then she noticed something that made her heart flutter with excitement and the childish side of her squeal like a hormonal teenager. There on Shadow's face barely hidden beneath tan fur lay a small hint of red on his cheeks.

Oh.

 _Oh_.

 ** _OH_**.

This was perfect. That was something Rouge wasn't expecting from her loner and emotionally stunted companion, and it certainly interested her. She drew closer, more attentive as her ears perked up, a part of her growing more and more jittery at the thought of the ebony male finally getting involved with someone. This was gossip juicier than heaven itself. It made Rouge wonder how this second Ultimate Lifeform could have gathered her friend's attention in such a important way.

Shadow didn't seem to have noticed her unusually attentive demeanour, too caught up in his blank examination of the beer bottle.

"G.U.N. made him as a way to create more Ultimates. We both know that I can't get anyone pregnant, since my genes are too different from the every day Mobian. Sonic, on the other hand..." His carmine eyes darkened, red becoming so dark, they were almost brown. "They made him different. He's the only one I can get pregnant."

A hermaphrodite? It wasn't rare, there were some species of non-mammal Mobians that could have a child even if it was the same gender, but this was unexpected for a hedgehog. She knew the Commander would never stray that much from the formula as to change the second hybrid's specie entirely. The scientists at his disposal weren't that good.

 _I knew G.U.N. was crazy, but damn this is a whole new level of shit_...

"That's...something." You learn something new everyday, it seems. "Have you talked to him about it?"

Shadow grunted and took a sip from his beer before slurring under his breath. "He knew. I didn't. Learned it from Robotnick."

The master spy was starting to get an idea of where this was going. "Ah. And what happened?" She whispered delicately, noting a slight lower of the other's ears.

"...I overreacted. Now I can't find him." She didn't need more than that. From the tone alone, Rouge quickly understood the fallout must have been terrible, and regaining the other's trust would be next to impossible -well, not unless she meddled with it. "I searched everywhere; he must have triggered a Chaos Control by accident using the energy I was gathering...and now..." Rouge swore she saw a hint of panic within the unshakable garnet orbs. "He could be anywhere. G.U.N. could have him for all I know and they could stuff him in a cryogenic chamber again and I'll probably never find him-"

"Stop." She said in a commanding tone, the first time she had ever addressed the obsidian male in such a way. "You need to breathe, Shadow." Rouge explained reassuringly, patting a black shoulder and feeling it tense underneath her fingers. "I'll look through my contacts and try to put my guys on the lookout for him. What does he look like?"

The rest of the evening passed slowly. Shadow was still dejected, but Rouge managed to gently coax out the required information from the gloomy ebony male. She knew her companion would bounce back in a matter of days, and she hoped by then he would be able to focus on the task at hand.

G.U.N. was far from defeated, and the obsidian warrior was one of the lead chess pieces of the game.

She just hoped this Sonic wasn't going to be another Maria Robotnick. Shadow had barely survived losing his sister, and had nearly blown up the planet in his grief.

The last thing any of them needed was another attempt at obliterating the planet with a giant cannon.

xxxxxxxx

"There. As long as you don't fiddle with it, your throat should be fine in a few days!"

Sonic grimaced as he tugged at the bandages wrapped firmly around his neck. Despite their soft, silky appearance the cobalt hybrid quickly realized they were the itchiest thing he had ever worn, and it was rendered even worse by the green slime Tails had applied on his neck slowly seeping through and making him look as if a toddler had thrown up on him.

The only reason he wasn't tearing them off was due to the satisfied, victorious look of his caretaker.

For something so small, he quickly learned as to why Knuckles went along with the fox. The kit could be vicious.

Tails giggled softly as the older male winced and muttered insults in a low tone while fiddling with the cloths. The young fox had managed to gather a ointment for his wounded throat, and the faint smell of eucalyptus made his nose curl up at the invasive scent. It seemed he'll have to breathe the plant for the next five days or so, which made him shiver.

He was unsure if he would get through it at this rate.

The worst part was Knuckles' shit eating grin as he surveilled the scene from the corner of the workshop. The echidna was looking at them from his spot on a busted out old couch tucked precariously between two old tables covered in boxes, and seemed more than pleased by the chaos that had been going on in the makeshift laboratory for the pass three hours.

"Do I...really have to...w-wear this?"

"Yes." Tails said with exasperation, his momentary glower replaced by a brilliant smile. "If it bothers you that much, I have a way to hide it."

He turned around and walked to a drawer, roughly opening it after fighting with the old furniture for a moment. The fox let out a cry of victory as he found what he was looking for. He rushed back to the awaiting sapphire male and showed the item to the perplexed speedster.

"Here! This is perfect!"

Sonic stared owlishly at the offered brown cloth.

"W-what's that?"

Tails let out a huffed sound of frustration.

"...it's a scarf."

 _This is going to take a while._

xxxxxxx

Rouge let out a heavy sigh as she finally set the pencil down. Folding her gathered notes she'd spend the last hours extorting from the black hedgehog, the master spy slipped the papers in one of the hidden waist pouches of her suit. Turning back to the source of her worry, she frowned as she found that Shadow was still slumped in his seat, the red-streaked quills of his, usually always sharp and ready to tear through metal, were now dropping and slightly sagging.

The sight was truly pitiful. Rouge wasn't often moved by another's misery, seeing as she refrained from developing relationships with people from work, but Shadow had been a constant for the last eight years -a unheard record for the albino bat- and she had tied what could pass as sibling bonds with the loner hedgehog.

"I know this is hard for you Shadow, but you need to focus." She finally intoned with no room for answer. "Moping isn't going to do anything. I'll put my contacts on alert tonight, but until we find him you need to snap out of this."

No answer.

Shadow stubbornly refused to meet her gaze, his eyes fixed on the dull yellow shade of the beer bottle. This made the traitorous G.U.N. agent bristle. She was not one to be ignored, certainly not by a man, friends or not. One that had, apparently, a preference for male blue hedgehogs, but that was just a minor detail...

It seemed she had to play her secret card for this one.

"Look," Rouge exclaimed gravelly, the soft undertone in her voice disappearing. "...I was going to tell you next week, but seeing the circumstances, I might just tell you now. I've gathered information about the Commander. It seems as if he's finally coming out of hiding."

Suddenly sharp and vicious ruby orbs immediately snapped up to greet aquamarine. Rouge smirked at the bloodthirsty glint in the Ultimate Lifeform's eyes. If there was one thing that drew the shiny male's attention faster than a Chaos Emerald, it was the mention of Abraham Tower.

"He's going to partake in the Comet Festival." Rouge continued. "Since Robotnick, the Guardians of the United Federations and the smaller Zones will call up a cease fire and bitching contest just for next week, the Commander's going to make a speech during the Festival."

"Where?" Shadow snapped, his voice sharp as a blade. Had she not want him to lose that sudden focus, Rouge would have smirked.

"As a sign of goodwill, it will be held at the border between Robotnick Land and Green Hills. The city's called Acropolis. It's near Mystic Ruins." Blue eyes darkened and Rouge leaned in, her face twisting into a pleased expression of both wonder and excitement. The bat's voice dropped into a whisper, and had Shadow not possessed such sensitive ears he would have missed it. "There's rumors that someone found a Chaos Emerald in Mystic Ruins."

The bat leaned back, a wolffish grin lighting her features.

Shadow had given his full and undivided attention to the pale mobian, his sudden straight posture and calculative expression making satisfaction bloom within the master spy.

 _Hook. Line. Sinker._

For all of his power and skill, her companion's emotions was ridiculously easy to fiddle with.

"I hope you'll take advantage of the opportunity and obtain the stone. I'm sure Tower will try the same."


	10. Chapter 10

**I was half asleep when I wrote this, forgive me XD**

 **Note: I upgraded Shadow's dream, because I am a perverted little shit that needs to practice her perverted writing. Enjoy, and if you whine I'll feed you some lemon drops. Those things are _nasty_.**

* * *

 _A blue form danced around him, beautiful and elegant as it circled him, just barely out of his grasp. He reached out, desperate for even the smallest contact with the heavenly being, only to snarl as it twirled away, crystalline laugher so foreign yet familiar echoing in his ears mockingly, yet instead of anger boiling through him he felt a sense of excitement, of pure pleasure that made him growl throatily._

 _Shadow revelled in the sounds of the blue for,, blindly reach for the creature like a lost man in the desert did for water. He wanted, he needed this entity. He needed the young immortal in his arms. He needed the other, he needed to hold him, kiss him, claim him. He needed to make sure to other was **his**._

 _As if hearing his silent pleas the figure stopped running and turned around, beautiful jade eyes staring deep into his own. He watched, enamoured, as it began walking towards him, blue hips swaying sinfully as they were but a inch apart now, obsidian brushing against sapphire. He towered over the other, satisfied by the three inches he had over the ephemeral creature._

 _There was no hesitation as he grabbed the cerulean form and pulled it closer, enjoying how easily their bodies fit together. His soul sang with completion, and his Chaos roared in his ears like a fiery inferno, begging to be let out. Snarling into cobalt fur, he bit the blue neck and felt the other quiver beneath him, each gasp and shuddered moan heaven for his ears. A tremor of ecstasy travelled his own body as he pushed the other back, pinning him against a wall._

 _No space left between them as his hands wandered down the lithe body, his fingers trailing lower and lower and between two long, athletic legs. He touched and caressed the other there, enjoying the pleasured cries of the younger one as his fingers slipped in and out of the heat, gently preparing him. He hissed against a lowered ear as black talons scraped softly against tight walls, making his body shake from retraint and his nether regions feel as if they were on fire. Despite his burning need to grab the svelte legs and sink into the blue one he patiently fondled the sapphire form, running his free hand through the soft fur as he took his time to trap his little mate in a web of sensuality._

 _Small claws tore at the skin around his shoulders, the figure having trouble standing as he diligently pleasured the blue one to the edge of madness, gently preparing the younger immortal before the main act and revelling in the cries of unhinged happiness and ecstasy leaving a pair of fawn lips which he dutifully trapped with his own, drinking in each hitched moan, pleading whimper and startled scream and shivering with excitement as a result..._

He woke up.

It was as simple as that; one moment he was blissful and at peace with his much desired mate in his arms begging for release, the next he was sitting in a plain white bed, his body feeling just as cold and empty as the room he slept in.

The lingering smell of sweetness and spices that had kept him sane had faded after three days, the source long gone from Shadow's side.

Growling, the ebony male rose from his bed, uncaring of the mess he left behind as he stood up and left the room, quickly making his way through the hallway. Lights flickered above his head, the sensors reacting to the sudden movements, but the dark immortal paid no mind to it, his entire being focused on one task. He came to a stop in the entrance chamber, dark wine eyes staring at the room with a indescribable expression.

He'd never cleaned up the room.

Scorch marks littered the floor and walls, and hints of dried blood still pooled where the Spear had struck. The Chaos in the room was just as frigid and empty as his body felt, a remain of Sonic's desperate Chaos Control he didn't attempt to fix, rather letting it contaminate him each time he passed through the room.

He needed to remember what he'd done.

So it would never happen again.

Shadow stood there in the middle of the chaos, nose twitching as he breathed in the last remains of his little mate's scent.

 _His mate_. The term would have brought a soft smile to his lips. Because he couldn't see Sonic as anything else but his.

(And now he lost him.)

The Ultimate Lifeform snarled as he whirled around and struck the metal wall with as much strength as he could muster. The thick bunker wall shook and rippled beneath his fist, breaking inwards and forming a small crater. The white light above his head flickered several times before plunging the ebony male in darkness.

Pain flared throughout his body, the agony of his broken hand barely registering against the tsunami of grief that overtook him. Sonic. _Why did I do this?_ Why did he let his rage and need for revenge against G.U.N. overtake him in such a way?

Since when had he become so weak that he lost himself and struck the one person who had nothing to do with this?!

 _Breathe_. A part of him muttered, a slice of his mind that remained sane and sounded not unlike Rouge. _You need to focus. He will be found eventually, you only need to search._ Their mate was strong. He had to be able to survive the outside world.

Until they met again, he had to work on that new Chaos Emerald.

...and prepare Abraham Tower's funeral.

xxxxxxxx

Sonic awoke with a sharp gasp, hands flying up to his neck where he had last felt the ghostly touch of strong dark hands. He could almost picture the fleeting dream in his mind, the black form looming over him, skillful hands playing his body like a instrument, a scorching hard heat inside him, a warm mouth on his neck that bit and nibbled it roughly as he cried out, not fighting the claim but rather accepting the presence of the older Ultimate Lifeform in him...

The cobalt hedgehog shivered, feeling the uncomfortable heat and tingling sensation his body was plunged in. He needed a shower. A very _cold_ shower.

He didn't want to think about the other immortal right now. Shadow had been a constant presence at the back of his head that he needed to forget, if only for a while.

 _But what if you meet again?_ Sonic wasn't stupid. It was unlikely they wouldn't meet again, not with eternity stretching out ahead of him. He would encounter Shadow one day, it was only a matter of time. But what would he do then? The darker male's violent outburst was a constant in the back of his mind. As much as his instincts cried out for the ebony warrior's presence, the attack left him feeling lost and wary.

After all, why should he trust Shadow after the other nearly killed him for something that hadn't been his fault?

Sighing, the young speedster shifted to the side and began crawling out of his bed. He needed to start working otherwise Tails would crush him under the weight of orders. For a kit, the fox could be downright terrifying...

Green eyes widened as their owner felt a slick wetness between his legs. Grimacing, the blue hedgehog pulled the covers away, only to growl in irritation at the mess his body had left in the bedsheets. _Stupid dreams._

It seemed he had to clean his bed before going to work...and somehow do it without either of his friends noticing it because his dignity demanded that he kept this quiet and personal. He was in full control of himself, dammit.

(Yet the opposite was glaringly obvious.)

 _Shadow, do you know how much I loathe you?_

xxxxxxxx

The second Ultimate Lifeform quickly learned what his 'chores' consisted of, and despite the repetitive aspect of it, the sapphire one found himself loving his work.

Plainly put, he was Tails' mailman.

Apparently there were no other engineers in the small village -as it turned out, there had been a walrus a long time ago, but he had left for Holoshka- and Tails' services were in high demand. Fixing computers, setting up sound systems, repairing vehicles, the fox did it all. For that however, the vulpine needed a lot of materials and needed to deliver back the repaired parts to their rightful owners, and this is where the young Ultimate Lifeform came in.

The villagers had quickly taken a shine to him, though Sonic knew it was less about himself and more of the fact he could blast across the small town and most of the countryside in a matter of seconds.

Quickly enough the other shops began using him as a way to quickly send their parcels to their designated location. Sonic found himself even delivering material to Station Square, but due to the fact it was too much into G.U.N.'s territory he found himself pickish with the idea of being so close to his old captors. The villagers seemed to understand his reluctance, thankfully.

It seemed that he wasn't the only one who hated the organization.

One godsend Sonic enjoyed thoroughly was the reinforced shoes Tails had managed to scramble together within three hours. The blue hedgehog was amazed by the child's ingenuity, as the kitsune used a old pair of shoes of Knuckles' and modified the already reinforced shoes to be able to resist burning from the high level of friction Sonic generated each time he ran. The pair was grey and colorless, of a simplistic design to minimize weight, but the Ultimate Lifeform love them either way.

"Here you go, sir!" A young toad exclaimed as he dropped a few rings into Sonic's hand after receiving his new repaired phone. "Thanks! You're just as quick as the rumors said you were!"

Sonic offered the child a sheepish smile. "I'm just doing my job."

"Still, thank you!"

The young immortal bid the amphibian goodbye before turning around and pulling the list of orders out of his backpack, a smirk growing on peach lips as he noticed it would be the last one before he was done for the day.

 _Buy a dozen of Cream Delight Cookies from Rose's Bakery._

Huh. He looked over the address again. It seemed as if it was nearby as well. The cobalt hedgehog felt giddy at the prospect. After this he would be able to continue his exploration of the landscape -that is, if it didn't rain, because there was no way he would ever take a step outside if there was even the smallest probability of it. The last time he had been caught up outside in the middle of nowhere, soaked to the bone and terrified out of his mind until Tails and Knuckles came to pick him up was enough for the young Ultimate Lifeform.

Humming to himself, the cobalt one jogged to his destination, enjoying the warmth of the afternoon sun against his fur. His good mood sailed at this, and he could almost taste the freedom he so desperately enjoyed.

His spirits crashed and burned however when he arrived at the required shop.

 _What kind of shop was called Rose's Bakery?_

Staring at the pink monstrosity of a building, Sonic quickly found himself agreeing with the name as he entered the shop. He'd visited it before, once or twice; Tails had a mean liking for the cookies from this bakery, and would always stock his fridge with their creations.

Today however things were different. The decoration however, blinding as it was, had not changed, which he first took noticed with a stifled whimper for mercy. The perky raccoon that served him the last two times, Midna, was serving the clients as usual, however, there was a second person who stood at the counter, her fur the exact shade of pink as the furniture, walls and ceiling.

There was no doubt that this was the owner.

"Hi!" He said to her nervously, uncomfortable and slightly embarrassed of his surroundings. There was too much pink and purple here for his taste. It seemed as if a princess had puked on the building. "I-I'm here to pick up...a batch of Cream Delight Cookies for Miles Prower."

The person at the counter, a pink hedgehog, stared at him with narrowing green eyes a few shades darker than his own. Sonic felt his fur stand on end at the interested and curious gleam in her eyes as she bend down and grabbed a teal box from inside the counter. He didn't know what he did, but he had somehow attracted the girl's attention in a way he most certainly didn't like.

 _Tails, your addiction will mean the death of me._

He quickly grabbed the box from the female's hands, his instincts screaming for him to run away from this pink hell. The other hedgehog smiled at him, before spotting something that apparently made her gasp.

"W-what is it?!"

"Your shoes! They're grey and colorless!" The girl shrieked, horrified. "Off with them, now!"

 _Heh?_

What was wrong with his shoes?

(They looked perfectly fine in his opinion. Did he step on dog crap again?)

"B-but I need them..." Sonic squeaked faintly as the girl jumped over the counter with practiced ease. "My feet burns up from the friction otherwise..."

The pink female stared at him for a moment before speaking, her tone even more indignant. "Did Miles make them!?" The hedgehog snarled, unconcerned of how her victim was trying to shrink onto himself like a terrified turtle. "Urgh! No matter. Come on, I need to have a talk with that lazy fox!"

Sonic could only offer a meep as the girl grabbed him by the scruff of his neck and burst out of the building before beginning to drag him towards the direction of Tails' workshop.

He quickly untangled himself, disliking the grip. The girl stared at him, confused as to how quickly the blue male had distanced himself from her. "D-don't grab me like that." Sonic muttered, not wanting to be rude but still hating the hold. It had been too alike the ones the guards back at G.U.N. had used. "I-I don't like it. Please? It's not nice."

The pale green eyes blinked for a moment before looking apologetic. "Oh, I'm sorry! I didn't want to make you uncomfortable!" The pink girl giggled before winking mischievously at him. "Don't worry, my beef is with Tails, not you honey." She reached out slowly, as to not startle him. Sonic liked her action, as she seemed to have realized that her precious act had been uncalled for.

She grabbed his wrist gently and spun him around, using the blue hedgehog's light weight to lead him toward the workshop once more.

 _Maybe not._

Noticing his grimace, the young girl let go, frowning.

"Just follow me!" She said, giving him a large, comforting bright smile. The cobalt hedgehog found himself smiling as well, her attitude as contagious as the plague despite the rough start of their meeting.

"Hey! Wait up!"

"Aren't you supposed to be the fast one?!" The girl said with a small crackle. "Keep up, hedgehog!"

"Can you at least tell me your name?!"

The hedgehog paused for a moment at her blunder before chuckling. "Oh! It slipped my mind completely. Silly me!" She exclaimed, picking up her rhythm again. "I'm Amy Rose!"

"Sonic."

"I know." She said with a giggle. "Come on, I'll race you there!"

Sonic blinked at the absurdity of the pink female in high heels trying to race him, a Ultimate Lifeform, who could run at the speed of sound. Nevertheless he indulged the girl, jogging at what felt a snail's pace next to the younger mobian and smiling at her when he easily ran pass her.

Amy's cheeks flared red with indignation and she accelerated. The blue speedster allowed the female to run pass him again. She laughed, bright and full of life and wonder, and Sonic couldn't help but laugh as well, enjoying the mock race.

 _This is amazing._

The cobalt hedgehog happily skipped his way back to the workshop after the young female, carefree emerald eyes never once looking up to the growing shadow in the skies.


	11. Chapter 11

**The heck is wrong with me, I'm supposed to be working on Broken Stream, not this...**

 **Anyways, enjoy I guess.**

* * *

As it turned out, Tails wasn't that scary; at least, not compared to Amy.

(Holy Chaos _that_ was a whole different can of worms.)

Sonic could only offer a weak defence as he found himself pushed to the sidelines as the pink hedgehog came down on the yellow fox, who shrunk onto himself like a terrified turtle, not unlike he had done upon first meeting the girl.

He could only sit in the living room couch, grimacing as he flexed his toes, looking down at the perfectly normal shoes that he'd been offered after Amy decided to practically tear the reinforced ones off him and throw them at a indignant fox head.

"Does this always happen?" The hesitant hedgehog asked the other sane inhabitant of the house, who was sipping on a cup of tea and blatantly ignoring the shouting coming from the workshop.

"Yes." The echidna muttered as he set down the empty cup. "Amy has always been a friend of Tails. Both of them can be rather...explosive about their belief. Tails prefers building simplistic, efficient equipment, and Amy enjoys bringing a bit of 'character' into his creations. Trust me, this is mild comparing to the time Tails accidentally partially melted the handle of her war hammer."

It was at that moment that Sonic wholly, truly didn't want to know what the older mobian meant.

A eccentric pink hedgehog was one thing, a eccentric pink hedgehog wielding a giant hammer was another.

"Should we leave? I really don't want to get caught up in the middle of things..."

Knuckles raised an eyebrow as his hesitating, mildly guilty tone, but slowly nodded.

"It's not a bad idea, hedgehog." The scarlet warrior agreed. "Let's go. It would be better for us if we stay out of it."

Sonic nodded, agreeing with the echidna's wise words. He stood up and followed the scarlet mobian, not glancing back as he left Tails to Amy's less than optimal care.

xxxxxxxx

Ruby eyes swept over the crowd, picking out the soldiers in uniforms that led groups of workers around the plaza, instructing them in what to do. Slowly but surely the podium was being built, and some humans and mobians alike had already started setting up street stands to sell their produce.

Acropolis was bustling, slowly preparing itself for the Comet Festival that would begin in less than three days.

Shadow sneered as he pulled his hood further up, ignoring how his ears twitched as they were forced beneath the rough fabric. As secure as he was of his own safety, the last thing he wanted was to be spotted by one of the G.U.N. personnel. The Commander had to come to the Festival, and he knew the old bastard wouldn't if there was even a whisper of his presence near the town.

He would only need to wait a few more days for the man to show up. Until then, he would scout the city, mapping out the best safe houses and familiarizing himself with the terrain. When that was done, he would go look for that Chaos Emerald.

Gerald had left him a duty towards those stones, and Maria had wished in her final moments for him to protect the people of Mobius. The Chaos Emeralds were too dangerous to be left unattended, especially if G.U.N. got a hold of them.

The ebony hedgehog already knew that the organization had one of the mythical jewels tucked away in their most secret and obscure bases. Rouge, his best spy, was working on finding it's location, but she was far from being high enough of a rank to have access to such critical information.

(It would spell disaster if G.U.N. found more. That's why he needed to get to them first.)

Shadow's eyes narrowed as he reached into his quills, fingers wrapping around a familiar warm object he pulled out. Sitting down at the edge of the skyscraper, the ebony warrior admired the crimson jewel, enjoying the beauty and purity of the stone, how it thrummed in his hand like a beating heart, the Chaos Field twisting around it, drawn by the gem's power.

They had one.

He had another.

...and soon enough, he would find the third Emerald.

xxxxxxxx

He tumbled to the ground, a small grunt of pain escaping him as he accidentally bit his own tongue. His whole body ached, and his limbs screamed for sleep, yet the cobalt hedgehog stilled rolled to his side, a low groan escaping him as he struggled to rise.

"Why are you so slow, Ultimate?" The young immortal heard Knuckles jeer somewhere to his right. "This is pathetic. I'm barely breaking a sweat."

"I'm trying!" Sonic retorted as he spat out a mouthful of grass and dirt, quietly hoping he hadn't eaten a bug along the way.

 _I should have said no when he offered to spar._

His ears and quills twitched in irritation as he heard a low chuckle escape his companion. Oh how he wished he could just kick the other in the face and be done with it. Why did he agree to this again?

It hadn't seemed like such a bad idea at first. Sonic had always wanted to learn how to fight properly -G.U.N. had seen fit to train him, but they've never allowed him to complete the program due to his...role...but he remembered a few basic stances that he thought, quite stupidly, would be enough to help him defeat the echidna.

The only thing he had defeated at the moment was his old record of how much dirt he could swallow within four hours.

"You're not! Use your speed more, use the momentum for each blow!" "Turn your opponents' strength against them!" Sonic tried to dodge the punch sent his way and cheered when he managed, only to cough and splutter as the echidna caught him with a leg and sent him tumbling to the ground once more. "You need to be quicker, hedgehog!"

"But my shoes-"

"Forget the damn shoes!" Knuckles intoned gravely, his loud voice drowning out the blue hedgehog's squeak of indignation. "A bit of pain won't matter if you are dead!"

 _I should have stayed with Tails. Things would have been a lot more fun._

"You really...woke up on the wrong side of the bed today."

"Hmph." Knuckles huffed, not impressed by the younger mobian's banter. "Shut up and focus."

Sonic rolled his eyes and fell back into a fighting stance, emerald orbs growing dark as he focused on the echidna in front of him. He could see the outline of the other's muscles tensing beneath the thick carmine fur, and knew it wouldn't be long until the other lunged at him.

 _Use my speed._..but his speed was used to run away. He'd never been made to participate in combat.

(He was created as a breeder, nothing more.)

Green eyes hardened. As if. He wasn't going to allow G.U.N. nor Shadow the satisfaction of that statement being true. He was going to learn how to fight, and he was going to do it damn well. He was a Ultimate Lifeform.

No matter how much the Commander had twisted the formula, he was still made for combat.

Shifting his stance, he lowered his arms to his side and flexed his knees. Knuckles smirked as he noticed the sudden change in his position.

"You're getting it." The echidna murmured, a hint of challenge in his eyes. Sonic merely growled at him before darting forwards, ready to begin the spar anew.

His speed.

It was the only thing he had, and he was going to use it until his legs broke.

When he sped towards his opponent his feet kicked the ground so hard he was sure he could have caused a sonic boom if he'd been wearing his shoes. Nevertheless the explosion was still grand, and Sonic greedily took advantage of the moment of surprise as Knuckle's sensitive ears reacted to the loud sound to punch the mobian in the face before ducking under the flailing arms and bouncing away.

Using his speed and stamina Sonic slowly, but gradually exhausted the crimson male, using his speed to wear down the other by making him flail around, punching nothing but air in a attempt to hit him. Knuckles did try hard to catch him, but each time he tried to take a step back and assess the situation Sonic was there, pulling at his dreadlocks or hitting the back of his knees, forcing him down and darting away before he could react.

Laughter left him as he twirled around his older companion, enjoying the look of irritation on the echidna's face. This felt like a dance almost, like a cat playing with a grumpy dog, jumping out of the way of the canine's heavy paws after having swiped at the animal's floppy ears.

Knuckles tried to catch him, but this time Sonic ducked beneath the other's legs before dropping into a crouch and sweeping his long legs, catch the echidna's own. The carmine mobian's concentrated expression turned into one of shocked surprise as he was send sprawling to the floor, the ground almost shaking beneath the heavy creature as he toppled over like a pile of cards, his head connecting harshly with half-hidden Rock and nearly knocking him out in the process.

The blue hedgehog was buzzing with excitement at the sight. He finally managed it!

"Haha! Take _that_ , sucker!" He bounced around the defeated echidna, who merely groaned in pain. "Who's the slow one now!" Sonic walked over to the mammal's side and smirked mischievously at him, unable to stop laughing at the sight of the grumpy but slightly proud-looking Knuckles.

Sonic's relieved laughter stopped short however as he noticed that something had fallen out of the dazed echidna's dreadlocks. Knuckles followed his line of sight and paused, eyes widening as he took in the cause of the sapphire male's sudden shock. He scrambled to grab the item and hide it from the other's sight, but by now it was too late.

A shimmering yellow stone lay next to the fallen mobian, it's gleaming surface reflecting the orange halo of the setting sun.


	12. Chapter 12

"W-What...? _How_...?"

Knuckles offered no answer as he slowly rose from the grass, clutching the yellow Chaos Emerald tightly in his massive hands. Sonic eyed the taller mobian with a mixture of confusion, shock and concern, wanting to help the battered echidna up but at the same time too surprised by the turns of events to move.

His mouth opened, then closed, then opened again. The young hedgehog shifted on his feet, toes curling within the plain brown shoes, green eyes glancing from the yellow gem gleaming like a small star, beckoning him to look at it to the red mobian's stone expression.

"Leave it be, hedgehog." Knuckles growled, turning his body slightly aside as to hide the legendary artifact.

"But why did you keep this from me?" Green eyes suddenly widened. "Did...did you think I was going to _steal_ it?"

The downcast purple eyes was enough of a answer.

Sonic couldn't help but feel a burst of anger at this. No, not anger, _fury_. The immortal had grown into the security and warmth of Tails' home; without the fox and the echidna he would have been lost, even dead, or worse in the hands of G.U.N. If they hadn't found him, maybe even Shadow would have, and maybe the stoic Ultimate Lifeform would have slaughtered him for the insult to Gerald Robotnick's legacy he represented.

Mind set, Chaos boiling through his veins and jade eyes almost burning with righteous anger, the cobalt male's ears folded back against his skull as he stood up to his full heigh, ignoring that the carmine echidna was half a head taller than he was as he let out a bellow that startled more than one feral bird into flight:

"Are you a idiot? W-why would you think I would want that thing?!" Sonic hissed, tail lashing and quills rattling against his spine. Knuckles took a step back at the expression of utter rage, silently wondering if the shadows he saw dancing upon the bright, royal blue fur were just illusions. "Did you think I would swoop that low?!"

"You've been here for less than a week, hedgehog." Knuckles muttered under his breath. "It's hardly enough time to get a good judge of your character." The amethyst eyes darkened. "You could be a G.U.N. spy for all we know."

Sonic looked down at the elder's words, gritting his teeth in silence.

 _Shadow thought the same._

Maybe he still did, and was hunting for his head right now.

The resemblance was uncanny. It hurt to know the echidna didn't trust him, but then again, who would? He wasn't normal. He was a Ultimate Lifeform, one created by G.U.N. after they stole Gerald Robotnick's work from his cold, dead hands. The stigma would follow him until he died. There was no getting away from it.

(Unless he fought it.)

... _that...isn't such a bad thought..._

Experiment. Creation. **Breeder**. G.U.N. personnel had always reminded him of his place, that his fractured memories informed him. They had wanted a pliant, defenceless and docile creature. A breeder. Sonic felt his lips curl in disgust.

He wasn't going to be that.

That was the last thing he wanted to be. Helpless. A _object_. Someone else's. He didn't want to spend his whole life under another's control, nor suffer the consequences of something he had no control over. Breeder. Like hell. Sonic knew then and there he was going to be more. Much more.

He was going to be his own self.

He was going to help people.

He was going to bring smiles to the face of the helpless.

(A hero.)

The blue hedgehog couldn't help but smile at that. It was a soft, happy smile, one of hope and dreams that made the echidna who was watching him warily doubletake at the innocent expression that replaced the mask of fury.

"You're right." Sonic began delicately. "I'm still a stranger to you...but you helped me. I thought I was going to die...I wanted to die. You came, however. You and Tails...you saved my life." He looked down at his chest, tracing the faint bruises that were still there. The bandages were gone, but the ribcage hurt if he jostled it too much. "I wanted to do that, you know." Sonic murmured, tone wishful. "When I was young...save lives. Silly, but it...it would be nice..."

Knuckles' expression was unreadable. "Ultimate Lifeforms are made to kill and conquer." The echidna reminded with a even tone, going silent when the blue ears lowered in shame. "...but I don't think it's not worth a try."

"Really?" Sonic visibly perked up at this, his body relaxing and the last of the shadows licking at his fur vanishing. He looked more at ease around the older male than ever, and gave the echidna a brilliant smile full of cheer and hope.

"Hmm. I'm sure. You're quite stubborn." Knuckles intoned as he straightened up, holding the Chaos Emerald higher. The jewel glowed brightly in his hand, stimulated by the presence of a being with high amounts of Chaos such as Sonic.

The ruby furred mobian noticed the Ultimate Lifeform staring at the gem in barely restrained, childish fascination and smiled, causing the sapphire speedster to look sheepish.

"What to know something, hedgehog?" Knuckles, offered, getting a quick nod from the young immortal. "These Chaos Emeralds, my people used to protect them. They had entire archives dedicated to the research and worship of the jewels." Sonic's eyes widened and the echidna's smirk grew, noting just how much of a child the other looked. It reminded him of Tails. "Legends say the Emeralds can create miracles. The ancient echidna's supposedly gathered all seven of them on a floating island, and used their power to keep it in the skies. The Emerald allowed the echidnas to live among the clouds...or so the legends say. They're just stories, after all. I..." He paused, hesitating as his expression became almost mournful.

Knuckles looked up from the jewel as he felt a hand rest on his own. Sonic stood at his side, looking worried and torn between urging the echidna to speak again or asking what was wrong. The conflict in the green eyes made the scarlet mobian chuckle lowly.

The blue one really was just like a kid.

"I'm just continuing the legacy, now. I'm the last echidna, Sonic." The sullen male revealed, looking down as he felt the smaller creature path his shoulder in a awkward attempt to comfort him. "The least I can do is honor the tradition of a dead civilization. They abused the Emeralds' power, and were destroyed because of it." His eyes softened. "I...I want to make sure it never happens again."

"Knuckles..." Sonic said, hesitating. "I'm sorry."

"Heh. Let's just leave it at that, alright?"

"Sure." Sonic chirped as he agreed to it quickly, sensing that the echidna's words left no room for arguments.

"Now; hero business, right?" Sonic nodded dumbly at the mobian's sharp, teacher-like tone. "If you want to do that, hedgehog, you'll have to learn how to fight." The crimson echidna stuffed the bright gem in his dreadlocks once more before dropping into a battle stance. "You got lucky the first time. Lucky isn't going to save you down the road. You need to be quick, and ready for anything. Right now, you have the fighting experience of a newborn."

"Hey! That's mean!"

"People aren't going to be mean, hedgehog. They're going to try and hurt you. Now _dodge_!"

"But that just - _ow_! I wasn't ready!"

"Well, I hope you learned your lesson!"

* * *

 **I'm bad at emotions. Fight me.**

 **Next chapter that's going to be posted will be Broken Stream. Period. I'm almost done with it, and it's been late for a while. After that Imma post another chapter for this story, then go look at Hero By Day, Evil by Night. The chapter's long overdue.**

 **Cya!**


	13. Chapter 13

They fought until the crescent moon began to rise.

Sonic flopped down on the grass, sighing contently as he stretched out sore muscles and aching bones. He'd never trained this hard before. The rush of battle was truly addicting. There had been no breaks, and neither went easy on each other, fighting until they couldn't.

The clearing they had chosen as a battleground was torn from Knuckles burrowing attacks -that had been quite a surprise for the cobalt hedgehog- and the nearby trees sported deep cuts from Sonic's quills when the young Ultimate Lifeform had smacked into the trunks after being on the wrong end of the echidna's fist.

Both echidna and hedgehog lay on the ground next to each other, bruised and battered. Knuckles despite being the more experienced of the two was just as exhausted as his smaller opponent was. The sapphire immortal had, near the end of the long training, devised a way to effectively use his speed to compensate for his lack of power, which his instructor had in spades. Using this new technique, Sonic charged at the scarlet creature, using his momentum by curling up into a ball and striking the elder mobian.

While ridiculous in theory, the echidna learned first hand how well it worked, and a part of him felt proud for aiding the youngster on developing his own fighting style. When they first met three days ago Knuckles found the blue one to be weak and naive, unprepared for the outside world. Gaining the little blue mobian's trust had been alarmingly easily. A enemy could gain the immortal's trust with ease; hopefully, his fight Shadow had aided somewhat to quell this blind trust. At least, Knuckles hoped. Sonic was just too naive for his taste.

...well, now at least the sapphire hybrid had some way of fighting back in case someone decided to take advantage of his attitude.

(Even if it was, essentially, kicking his opponents like a angry ostrich until they collapsed.)

Rolling on his side, Sonic mumbled something into the grass as he turned to the scarlet mobian at his side. Knuckles shook his head slightly at this, bemused at how childish the younger acted. The small grin on his lips however died off when he noticed that the immortal was looking at his dreadlocks again, a frown lighting the hedgehog's features as he tried to spot a glimpse of yellow between the ruby locks.

"Quit it, hedgehog."

"Sorry." Sonic replied softly, ears lowering as he wilted. "I can't help being curious. I've never seen one before."

Knuckles blinked, surprised. He turned his body on his side, facing the younger one fully and cocking his head to the left like an owl. "Really? I would've thought they gave you your own pet rock. It's well known that Shadow the Hedgehog wields the red Chaos Emerald." The ruby male pointed out, earning himself a small frown from the cerulean male.

"He does?" Sonic asked incredulously, ears perking up in attention. He then grimaced, and Knuckles did not miss the way the small gloved hands tightened into fists. "Well, G.U.N. never showed me one...at least, not that I remember." The green eyes looked away, avoiding the searching purple orbs. "I...wasn't made to fight."

The echidna frowned deeply at this. "Then what were you made for? A prototype?"

The blue one hesitated briefly, before his eyes hardened and he scowled. "...to make so the next batch of Ultimate Lifeforms would be easier to make." Sonic trailed off, his posture softening slightly as his expression became doleful, something his older companion did not miss. "Of course, they needed Shadow for this, otherwise I was useless."

Knuckles' eyes widened and he stared at the youngster in surprise. "You mean-"

"Hmm."

Sonic's dejected sigh was enough of a answer.

The elder let out a appreciative whistle. " _Damn_. I thought I had a bad life." The echidna muttered under his breath, ignoring how the smaller male bobbed his head up and down in affirmation.

"Dunno, from what you told me it pretty much sucked." The immortal at his side added as he crossed his arms behind his head. Green eyes glanced at the echidna as the younger stretched lazily on the grass. "So...can I touch the Emerald?"

The crimson mobian turned his head towards the blue hedgehog and glared through narrowed amethyst. "...you told me that sap story just to get the stone, didn't you." The echidna accused halfheartedly, his tone drier than a desert.

Sonic shrugged as he sat up. "Maybe, but it's true." The cobalt speedster said vaguely; he then perked up and looked at the elder with a curious gleam in his eyes, like a child who had spotted a shiny trinket he just had to explore. A blue tail waved excitingly behind him, much like a dog pestering their owner for a walk. "So, can I touch it?" The Ultimate Lifeform pressed.

"No."

The younger one made a face at his flat tone. "Aww come on!" Sonic whined, leaning closer to the other and looking down at the echidna with wide, begging jade eyes. "G.U.N. mentioned the Chaos Emeralds, but never showed one to me." Knuckles grunted and looked away, refusing to met the other's gaze. "Please? I n-never got to use one. I just want to touch it, honest!"

The echidna peered at the younger one, taking in the wagging tail, perked ears and curious glint in the green orbs. He looks as if he's telling the truth. The mobian mused, the hard frown on his face slackening. Sonic just had this aura of naivety, adventure and wonder, it made the elder believe his request was genuine.

Besides, he himself had thought the same thing when he found the Chaos Emerald trapped in the roots of a widow tree less than a month ago. Having heard of the powers of the mythical stone, a childish part of him had wanted to touch the stone, to see if he could feel the jewel's magical capabilities. Even now, long after the Emerald had gotten used to it's new owner and stopped letting out pulses of Chaos energy every few seconds, Knuckles still felt the need to touch the stone, taking comfort in the comforting warmth of the gem.

"Fine." Muttered obscenities under his breath, Knuckles reached into his dreadlocks and pulled the yellow Chaos Emerald from its hiding place all while ignoring the excited squeak from the young Ultimate Lifeform. The echidna sat up, crossing his legs and giving Sonic -who was quite literally bouncing on the spot- a flat glare. "If you try anything, I'm telling Tails and you'll never see the end of it."

He had the satisfaction of seeing Sonic shiver with dread.

Gauging the other through narrowed eyes, Knuckles gently extended his hand and offered the yellow Chaos Emerald -while keeping a tight hold on the mystical jewel.

Sonic felt his spirits lift at this, his smile growing as he tried his best to hide his hesitation at this blatant show of trust; he understood why the elder had a death grip on the stone, but the fact the trusted him this much was destabilizing. Knuckles offered the young Ultimate Lifeform a flat, mildly amused stare. Taking his courage with both hands, the cobalt hedgehog reached out and placed a small hand on the gleaming stone.

The Chaos Emerald dulled for a moment, turning a sickly dark yellow before it let out a pulse of white light.

Quite suddenly, his body temperature dropped to freezing levels and all Sonic knew was _pain_.

It felt as if he had been plunged in a inferno of cold flames; despite the sudden numbness his body was subjected to, Sonic felt as if he was being burned alive. Every part of his body was electrified, his nerves were screaming and he felt as if his blood was being boiled within his veins.

A shriek of inhuman pain left him as he hit the floor, barely registering that his feet had somehow left the ground as he tumbled across hard dirt. The young Ultimate Lifeform unconsciously curled into himself, wincing as he came to a stop on his side. Tremors traveled his battered form as he lay there, gasping, struggling to breathe through the slowly dissipating pressure on his chest.

Large hands grasped him carefully and he leaned in, desperate for a bit of warmth. This felt too much like the cryogenic chamber for his liking. The mere idea made him shiver even more violently; while he didn't remember much of his time in the pod, he did remember the cold biting into his flesh, constantly drawing him out of his restless slumber, burning his throat and making him scream silently for release.

"Hedgehog, stop whining and focus." A voice cut through the dissipating cloud of pain; Sonic focused all of his efforts on the familiar noise, jade eyes slowly fluttering open as their owner recovered from the electric jolt that had gone through his system. "Are you alright? Any pain?"

Wincing, he turned towards the source of the voice, a part of him grimacing as he noted he was wrapped in his companion's arms. Knuckles looked both guilty and alarmed, purple eyes shifting from his trembling form to the yellow Emerald he had discarded to the side in his haste to get to the young speedster.

"I-I'm fine. It just...felt weird..."

"Getting knocked off your feet and coughing up blood is not weird, hedgehog." The scarlet echidna reminded him of a disappointed teacher. Knuckles stood up, gathering the blue one in his arms despite the miffed look the immortal offered his saviour. "We are going to see Tails. Now." Sonic opened his mouth to refute the elder's command, but Knuckles was -for once- faster. "He might not know much about your strange anatomy, but he can at least make sure the Emerald didn't cause a major injury." The mobian walked over to the fallen Emerald, shifted his hold on the glaring youth and picked the jewel.

Sonic wiggled in the other arms, scowling as he was carried like a child. He was not helpless, damn it.

"Knux...stap..." He slurred halfheartedly, ears pinned down as furious green orbs stared up at the solemn echidna, fuming. The cobalt hedgehog felt a stab of victory as the other shot him a mildly irritated glance.

"Don't call me that. Focus on staying awake."

 _I'm so going to call you that ridiculous nickname until the end of times if you don't let me go. **Now**._

Sadly, the other couldn't hear his inner screaming, so Sonic settled with shambling his way through the English language once more, his tongue, like the rest of his body, refusing to work as it was supposed to.

"Why not? You're...being a rude hat today and your name's too long for meee..."

Knuckles raised an eyebrow at his mindless blabber, but chose not to comment. Giving the dazed hedgehog in his arms one last wary glance, the scarlet echidna began the trek back to the workshop, all while trying to ignore the half-assed slurs the indignant but docile speedster sent his way.

xxxxxx

Ruby eyes idly swept over the crowd as their owner walked on the edge of the skyscraper, the shimmering blood red orbs never once leaving the five heavily armoured vehicles that had just entered Acropolis. While it wasn't unusual to see delivery trucks arrive to the bustling town, something peculiar and unique drew the attention of the powerful Ultimate Lifeform.

Namely, it was the large eagle, the stars and the large G engraved in white on the sides of the vehicles.

Shadow followed the trucks with narrowed eyes, only moving when the parade disappeared behind a corner. He whispered softly a command to the jewel hidden in his quills that took him to a backyard alley close by, and when he emerged -pulling his hood up for good measure- he was greeted with the sight of the first truck appearing around the corner.

The tiniest hint of a smirk lit the immortal's lips.

G.U.N. had taken too long to mobilize for the festival; this would be their downfall. Shadow had painstakingly explored every nook and cranny of the city, his photogenic memory allowing him to remember the layout of the metropolis with ease.

There was no place to hide in Acropolis.

The Commander had entered his playground, and the Ultimate Lifeform had no intention of letting him go.

* * *

 **Its been a while, hasn't it? My IPad started to crap out, so as any electronic addict I immediately evacuated all of my stuff and took it to the vet -my cousin, who is the only one who actually understands any of that stuff.**

 **Anyways, I'm rambling.**

 **Another reason for my lateness was me thinking up of a plot for another story, this time a Mephiles x Sonic one, much in the same style as this one -as in, focused on both romance and dark and epic battles, because I'm all about fights to the death and whatnot. Might come out during the middle of the month as a one shot (like _this_ story was supposed to be) but I'm not sure. Gonna do the first chapter and see what feedback I get.**


	14. Chapter 14

_"What happened?!"_

Sonic didn't know what was more terrifying, Tails' enraged shriek or the murderous expression on his face.

(Oh Chaos, Knuckles was right. He was going to _die_.)

The only thing that made him feel better was that Amy was nowhere in sight. He'd seen a glimpse of the girl's temper, and he really didn't want to bear the brunt force of it. Ever. Something told the little immortal he would not live through it, Ultimate Lifeform or not.

"The idiot touched a Chaos Emerald I found." The red echidna holding him stated plainly, his tone drier than ever as he felt Sonic give a low cat-like hiss at the insult. The hybrid glared, his furious demeaned wilting when his eyes met the scorching sapphires of the tiny fox. Tails looked downright _terrifying_. "It gave him a shock. I need you to take a look at him."

The blue eyes of the kitsune bulged out at this.

"Wait you found a...?! ...s-shock? Just...what...?!" It was clear that the young fox's brain just fried from the sudden influx of information. His expression was of mixture of anger from the sorry state of the blue hedgehog, and disbelief that his long time friend had one of the rarest and most powerful artifacts on Mobius in his possession.

Knuckles seemed to have enough of the fox's stillness, for he hefted Sonic higher up in his arms and began walking towards the kitsune's workshop. "Never mind, I'll do it myself. Where's the scanner?"

Realizing the elder was going to leave him in the dust, Tails rushed after the echidna, the last of his anger and confusion fading away to be replaced with worry. "Wait!" The kit exclaimed just as Knuckles pushed the door of the workshop open and stepped in, nearly closing the door on his friend's face.

The echidna sighed tiredly "Look, Tails, are you going to help or not?"

The fox nodded quickly. "Of course I am, silly!" Tails exclaimed indignantly. "I'm the only one qualified enough to deal with him; he's not a regular mobian, you know. You could make things worse!"

"I can take care of myself just fine!" Sonic suddenly growled through gritted teeth, struggling feebly in the grip of the echidna as the elder nodded at the fox, who immediately went and cleared a space in the workshop. It took less than a blink of an eye for the yellow mobian to set up the cot. Once that was done, he dashed to the more cluttered section of the room. "There's no need to take care of me, I'm fine!"

As if Chaos himself was dissagreeing with him another tremor travelled his body, making him double over in Knuckles' arms and groan. The echidna, alarmed, quickly placed him on the cot. Tails' movements at the other end of the workshop accelerated.

"Sonic, be a dear and shut up. You're not fooling anyone." The fox threw over his shoulder with a idle tone as he riffled through drawers with frightening speed. Letting out a exclamation of victory as he found what he was looking for, the young mobian turned back to the fuming sapphire, who was halfheartedly glaring at him. "Now, hold still. This will take only a moment."

The Ultimate Lifeform nodded, eyeing at the same time with distrust the contraption in the fox's hands. It looked like a pistol with it's menacing appearance and sleek white design, but instead of a normal barrel it widened horizontally, with thick yellow glass where the opening for the bullet to pass was supposed to be. Sonic noted with a bit of fascination that it faintly resembled those strangers guns at the stores that the employees pressed against the items he brought to the...what was it again? A registor? No, register! That was it!

Good thing Tails can't see inside my head. He hates it when I butcher the English language...

"Where's Amy, anyways...?"

"She went out to buy some paint." At the confused expression on the hedgehog's face, the young fox quickly explained. "It's for a surprise. Now shush."

"Hmmhp."

The inhabitants of the workshop settled down, the thick silence hovering over the three males only breached by the humming of Tails' scanner as he swept it up and down Sonic's figure. The said immortal was watching the device cautiously, his cat-like ears twitching at the odd sound the machine made.

"Done!" The fox exclaimed as the gun let out a strange bell-like sound. He pulled it closer, scanning the data on the screen atop of the device. "Seems like your Chaos energy is acting in a frenzied manner, but it looks like it's settling...uh..." The perked yellow ears suddenly lowering. "Huh...Sonic?"

The said hedgehog frowned as he heard the strained shuttering voice.

"What is it, Tails?"

"There's...something in your pelvic region that...uh...particular..." Sonic raimed a questioning eyebrow at the mumbled remark. Why did Tails look so red in the face just now? What was the fox rambling about - _oh_.

The young Ultimate Lifeform's face fell, and it took a lot of willpower to keep himself from crossing his legs in embarrassment, as if doing so would hide his eccentricities from the scanner.

 _Fuck_. He was so not doing this again.

Sonic let out a pained groan of frustration and flopped down on the cot, refusing to met the confused and flustered fox's eyes.

"...Sonic...?"

"I don't feel like explaining." The cobalt hedgehog grumbled through the bedsheets.

"Then allow me." The hybrid twitched as he heard the mocking undertone in Knuckles' voice, but refrained from refusing the echidna's offer, merely raising a hand and waving his companion off. "You see, Tails, our friend here was made by G.U.N. to get create more Ultimate Lifeforms with the help of a certain black hedgehog we both know about. Fortunately, he got out from beneath G.U.N.'s thumb, but he still has the tools to pop out mini-Shadows for days-"

Before the smug echidna could finish he found himself on the floor, clutching his head and groaning in pain at the shoe-shaped imprint on his head.

xxxxxxxx

He'd been following the trucks for over an hour.

The ebony warrior slipped in between the curious crowd as easily as a ghost, slowly closing in on the largest of the vehicles. The G.U.N. vehicles had come to a stop in front of the main hall of Acropolis; soldiers were pouring out of them, quickly spreading out and forming a efficient barrier between the middle truck and the growing crowd of curious onlookers.

Shadow pulled his hood further up as the main vehicle finally opened, ruby eyes narrowing as they examined the newcomers. A long line of officers stepped out first, armed to the teeth as they encircled the door of the truck, unaware that their most hated enemy was standing in the sea of citizens, patiently waiting for his prey to appear. After what seemed to be a eternity, a final human stepped out, mismatched brown and blue eyes gazing over the crowd of people that looked at him expectingly.

The Commander waved, and the people of Acropolis went wild.

Unknown to the human, his bitter enemy was prowling nearby, gauging him as he walked down the wall of soldiers, saluting the crowd that was both cheering him on as a symbol of hope against the Robotnick Empire, and simultaneously cursing him for the pain he brought upon the people under his control. The Commander didn't seem to noticed the large amount of people shouting obscenities at him or just didn't care, simply taking in everything the humans and mobians threw at him with a peaceful smile of a man who had reached the top of the mountain.

His mismatched eyes flew over narrowed rubies, never noticing the furious blood red eyes among the crowd.

Shadow watched him in silence, ignoring how green light had begun dancing about atop of his fingertips, his Chaos reacting to his simmering rage. Two words would be all it took to bring the tyrant down. _Chaos Spear_. Two words, and his quest for vengeance would be over. Abraham Tower's head would explode in a shower of gore as the lance of pure energy tore through his soft, pathetic flesh and destroyed the disgusting creature that had haunted the ebony hedgehog fifty years after he ordered the massacre of the ARK.

Only two measly _words_...

.

.

.

It was far too easy.

Shadow abstained, letting his hand rest against his side once more and for the emerald sparks dancing around his fingertips to die of.

Killing Abraham Tower like this, without the man expecting it, was not the way he wanted his revenge. No, he would rip the human apart, force him to reveal every vile secret the monster had hidden away to the entire world; the ebony hedgehog would tear everything the mortal had ever cared about away from him; he would make sure his years of planning burned in front of his eyes.

He would _break_ the man.

Revenge, after all, was a dish best served cold.

Stepping away from the roaring crowd, the creature used his namesake to walk away uninterrupted. A scowl darkened his aristocratic face as he mulled over his actions. He had been so close...but so far.

The man did not deserve a quick death. Under his control, G.U.N. had invaded neighbouring zones, stolen food from their famished population, enrolled even children into their school to teach them the art of war.

...and they had tried to turn him into a weapon.

Shadow sneered, the feral hiss of fury that left his lips startling a nearby group of mobians, who scurried away as quickly as they could as to evade his dangerous mood. He would make the man pay, not before he destroyed everything the vile human had worked for. The dark male was not one to let a opportunity like this to go to waste, far from it. He would attack G.U.N. at the climax of the Black Comet Festival.

He would remind the Commander that he was still here, still hunting him after all these years.

But he would have to wait. The Festival had just only started, and his target was scheduled to make his speech in five days. It meant that Shadow had plenty of time to kill. Until then, well...

...Mystic Ruins and that third Chaos Emerald awaited.

xxxxx

Emerald eyes slowly fluttered open as their owner rolled over to his side, groaning softly as his body cried out for sleep. Scowling, the hybrid rose from the cot, stretching out and smiling broadly as he felt his bones crack. After the rough training Knuckles had put him through, this small nap had been more than welcomed.

"Awake?" Speak of the devil, the reason of his body's sore state appeared in his line of vision. Knuckles was standing in the doorway of the workshop, smirking at his vicious glare. "I'll go get Tails."

Sonic watched him go, trying his utter most best to convey as much killing intent through bleary green eyes filled with sleep as the scarlet echidna left the room. He heard the elder shout for the fox and groaned softly, already feeling a headache starting to form.

The sound of the door opened brought his attention back to the entrance. Knuckles stepped in, a calm, soft glint in his purple eyes so unlike the hard amethysts he sported during battle. Behind him stood Tails, the young mobian looking happier and more perky than the last time he had seen him as he came in while holding a large white package with a bit of difficulty. The fox wasn't the only one who entered the room after the carmine echidna; Amy closed the door behind her, flashing her fellow hedgehog a blinding smile when she noticed his awaken state.

"Had a good nap, Sonic?" The girl exclaimed happily as Tails stepped forwards and set the strange white box on a nearby table. "You looked like death warmed over when Knuckles dragged you in. Glad to see that's changed!"

"Thanks, Amy." The Ultimate Lifeform mumbled dazedly as he blinked, trying to stop the bright pink of the female's blindingly bright fur from burning his eyes out of his sockets. Politely trying to shift the attention of the room, his gaze settled on the package the diminutive owner of the house had rested on one of the many desks littering the workshop. "What's in the box?"

A frown darkened the cobalt's face as he noticed the giddy glances the three mobians gave to each other. Even Knuckles, who was the most down to earth of them all, looked positively gleeful.

 _What was going on...?_

"It's a surprise for you." Tails explained with a wink as he picked up the package once more. "Here. Took me a while to build, but here you go. Amy picked out the colours." He offered the box to Sonic, who took it with a small smile of gratitude all while trying to hide the mixture of confusion, excitement and dread bubbling up his heart at the expecting looks from the trio of mortals.

Taking his courage with both hands, Sonic let out the deep breath he had been holding without his knowledge and pulled off the top of the box in one brisk move, almost expecting the item inside to jump out and slam him in the face. Despite his fears and overreacting imagination, it seemed as if his worries were for null.

What he saw inside however was still something he was not expecting.

Shoes.

Two gleaming red running shoes with white stripes looked up at him, the golden buckles on the outer side of the apparel almost shining under the white lights of the workshop. Sonic examined the gift with wide eyes, gently tracing the heel of the sneakers as he stared at the footwear in utter astonishment.

The gaping Ultimate Lifeform glanced up at his companions, who all wore silly grins of happiness at his expression of pure shock.

"Come on, slowpoke!" Tails urged him with a sly smirk. "Put them on!"

"Don't keep us waiting, hedgehog."

Sonic didn't need to be told twice, kicking the ratty old boots he had been given off and away before quickly slipping the new, shiny shoes as red as Knuckles' fur on. It felt like his feet were in clouds. The footwear was not too big like his previous ones had been.

These shoes were truly _meant_ for him.

...and his speed.

The excited cobalt hedgehog immediately jumped to his feet, standing up and walking around, testing the shoes. They were heaven. Complete and utter heaven, hugging his feet perfectly. They didn't even scratch the back of his ankles when he moved, something the boots always did, nor did they cause drag! This was _perfect_!

Unable to stop himself, Sonic let out a happy giggle and gave each of the three mobians a quick hug. "Thanks guys! These...these are awesome!"

Knuckles watched the hyperactive blue hedgehog jump around, zipping so fast around the room he might as well be teleporting. He didn't know what hurt worse, his eyes from the bright flashes of cobalt or his brain at the thought of the next training session being oh so much worse with the little immortal now having even more of a advantage in speed than he already had. "So, do you like them, heh?"

"Y-yes! Thanks you so much!"

"Well now that's done, I think I'm going to go eat." Tails exclaimed as he stretched, namesakes twirling excitingly behind him. The blue hedgehog perked up at this, his mouth salivating at the thought of food. By the shake of the kit's head and the quiet giggle, he seemed to have noticed his obvious hunger. "Anyone want to come? I know Sonic with his high metabolism must be starved!

"Speaking of which..." Amy growled dangerously, suddenly turning to Tails and Knuckles. Both males wilted under her furious pale green eyes. "What did you do to him?! I go away for a bit and when I come back, he looks like he's been run over!"

Sonic watched them worriedly. Even he hadn't been in the direct line of her fury and he was petrified. He had a feeling things weren't going to end very well.

(Did this mean he didn't get to eat? Because he was so hungry he could check his own arm off at this point.)

"Nothing to worry about!" Tails said, the end of his voice breaking, betraying his panicking state as he tried to calm down the furious female. "They were only training, Amy, and got a bit carried away!"

"A bit? He looked terrible!" Amy cried out dramatically, gathering a petrified Sonic in her arms and hugging him tightly. The sapphire hybrid could only let out a tiny squeak of protest as his face was crushed into the female's stomach. He tried to flail around for some air and only managed to get himself entangled further as Amy held him as if he was a teddy bear. "The poor thing...he's going to need some good food to recover. You two can't cook to save yourselves."

"Hey!"

"I know!" The pink female exclaimed, looking like a lightbulb had gone off inside her head. "I can teach Sonic how to cook!"

The said blue hedgehog blinked.

"Wait what?"

Cooking? As in using those strange metal things in the kitchen to turn things into food?

The only thing he knew how to use, regrettably, was the microwave. Tails saw it fit to keep him away from the kitchen -or in the more literal sense, banned him from ever touching it- or any of their meals unless he was hungry after that particular incident where he put salt instead of sugar in his coffee. And not just a dab of it either, more like a fifth of the package's contents. He hadn't known how to measure the dosage. Nobody told him previously, and Tails had assumed he knew. That had been a foolish miscalculation on his part.

It wasn't his fault, really. Both the salt and the sugar were in those cute cat-shaped containers Tails liked so much. It was a honest mistake.

(Tails' dying throat had something different to say about the subject. His words had been much more colourful.)

"Yes! That's a perfect idea!" Amy squealed, bounding in place. "Now come along, Sonic!" The girl chirped happily, completely ignoring the two groaning males in the background as she focused solely on the -quite reluctantly trembling- blue hedgehog, who looked as if he wanted to be anywhere but here. "We have a lot of work to do!"

Sonic could only offer a feeble squeak in defence as he was hauled to the kitchen, his shiny new shoes offering no friction against the girl's unusual strength.

* * *

 ***flops to the ground***

 **I need more caffeine...**

 **In a completely different note unrelated from me running out of creative juices, Sonic is going to finally meet again with Shadow next chapter, so rejoice! The background of the story has been now set, so the plot's finally beginning ;)**

 **Wait. The story's just starting.**

 **...and I already got more than _70_ reviews...**

 **...how in the name of Arceus has this become so popular so quickly?!**

 ***lets out a hiccup and dies***

 **I'm taking a two day break guys. Will update more stuff in the weekend.**


	15. Chapter 15

Sonic stretched like a content cat, happy where he was in his bed. The young Ultimate Lifeform finding it perfectly acceptable to spend this day sleeping in, especially after the hell of yesterday. Between Knuckles pummelling him to the ground until he learned how to fight, Tails learning exactly why G.U.N. created him, Knuckles mocking him for that, then Amy trying to learn him to cook, he had been done for the following week.

The pink hedgehog had nearly popped a vessel when she figured out that her newest friend was just as useless as his housemates in the culinary arts. They had spent hours in the kitchen, the bakery owner trying her best to teach the sapphire immortal the basics of cooking, only to storm out when he'd somehow managed to catch the fridge on fire.

Both Tails and Knuckles had congratulated him on getting Amy accept defeat that quickly, but the mortified speedster could only crawl his way under the sheets of his bed and hide there for the rest of the evening.

Now it was morning, and Sonic found himself reluctant to move with the soft thump thump of the rain against the roof of the small, two-storey house. The fresh scent of the storm outside had a relaxing effect on the weary youth. He'd never witnessed a rainstorm before, and the window facing the bed gave him full view of the outside. Since Tails' home was situated a bit away from the rest of Knothole and was perched on top of a hillside, Sonic could admire the large expanses of plains and forests to his heart's content, all from the warm safety of his bed.

Though it was almost noon, and the interesting scent of food coming from downstairs was starting to get to him. The Ultimate Lifeform pouted slightly as his stomach rumbled, loudly complaining about how empty it was.

 _I'm getting lazy..._

Rolling to his side, the blue one allowed himself to fall off the bed, grunting slightly as he fell onto the fluffy carpet. _I should eat, then go out for a run._ Crawling to his hands and knees, the tired hedgehog slowly rose up with the speed of a sleepy snail, cracking his joints and stretching his muscles as he tried to banish the sleepiness away.

It worked to a extent, judging how he could walk just fine, yet still managed to smack his face against the door on his way out.

xxxxxxx

"I told you already, I _don't_ know!" The terrified mantis shrieked as it curled up over itself in a attempt to shy away from his opponent. Pressed into a corner, wings torn and broken, there was little hope for this insectivore to get away.

The persistence of his attacker only made things worse.

"Lies."

The hissed accusation made the creature flinch. Beady compound eyes the colour of young leaves darted around, desperately searching for a escape as their owner's tiny heart beat furiously within the damaged, weary body of the insect. Should he try to fly despite his wings' sorry state? Maybe just climb the wall as quickly as he could and pray that the Ultimate Lifeform would not follow? Chaos, would fighting back even be a option anymore?

A glance down to the twisted remains of his forelegs, the sharp claws burned by the monster's fiery attacks, the mantis knew he had very little room to think this through.

The sudden metal shoe falling down on his torso quickly brought the animal back to reality, a pained howl leaving the mobian as it struggled under the smaller but far stronger being. Ruby eyes stared down at him, unrelenting. Gold and green crackled around long fingers, threatening to surge forwards once more and finish the job it had started.

The mantis' instincts of self-preservation quickly gained the upper hand at the sight of the Chaos-induced flames.

"A e-echidna! He took the Emerald from me, I swear!"

"Echidnas are a extinct race, moron. Tell me the truth, or else..." Shadow trailed off, smile sickly as he charged Chaos into his hands, forming a gleaming yellow blade. The green mantis let out a loud yelp and fell back, horrified. Wings buzzed helplessly, their torn state making it unable for them to pick their owner up.

"I'm telling the truth! There's a echidna that lives nearby, in Knothole! He used to live here, but moved away after he got the Emerald!"

The crimson eyes narrowed. "You better hope your information is correct, bug."

The mantis flinched, but said nothing, only sighing in relief as the shoe was lifted on his chest, allowing him to breathe.

It knew when to keep it's mouth shut.

A unimpressed Shadow watched the insect limp away, the animal's broken wings leaving it bound to the earth. A small part of him wondered if he should finish off the creature, but the more logical, cynical side of his mind refrained. The mantis, in his state, would be unlikely to reach help in time -and it would take several days for anyone to find the body. He had plenty of time to work things through without G.U.N. being alerted.

...besides, it wasn't as if the organization could do a vast operation against him this deeply into Robotnick's territory. The cease fire was shaky enough as it was -breaking it would mean that not only the crazy dictator would retaliate, but G.U.N. would also attract the ire of smaller countries, which they depended on for raw materials, seeing as they were quickly exhausting their own.

His mind made, Shadow pulled his Chaos Emerald out of his jagged quills, feeling the gem pulse gently in his hand as he brought it to his face, a childish sense of wonder overtaking him momentarily as he looked into the shimmering scarlet stone.

"Chaos Control."

The thick jungle and ruins faded away, the damp smell of dirt and wood quickly disappearing from the immortal's sensitive nose. Shadow breathed in the scent of grass and wind, ruby eyes sliding open to be greater by a great expanses of rolling hills and thick, lush forest. To his left was Mystic Ruins. To his far right, the line between the Robotnick Empire and G.U.N.

...and somewhere in between, hidden in the trees was Knothole.

Even this far away Shadow could feel the song of the Chaos Emerald somewhere in front of him, a few miles give or take. The Chaos in the area was buzzing, even more than it already was in Mystic Ruins as the Chaos Field became overstimulated by the presence of the mythical jewel.

Shadow quickly took off, gliding smoothly across the landscape in direction of the Chaos Emerald's brilliant presence.

He frowned as he heard a loud tapping noise not too far away to his right. Scarlet eyes shifted towards the source of the sound, only seeing a cloud of dirt and grass as well as a flash of red and blue as the object continued to blast through the open plains. Frowning, the male darted after the strange source of the phenomenon, his quest for the Chaos Emerald momentarily overtaken by wary curiosity.

As if sensing his approach the figure ran faster, blitzing through the terrain at frightening speeds. Shadow easily kept up, his Hover Shoes leaving small patches of singed grass across the landscape as he slowly moved closer and closer to the creature. Chaos crackled at his fingertips as he tensed, preparing himself for a possible fight as he closed in on the target-

The object suddenly made a sharp turn, making him skate right pass it.

 _Son of a...!_ Shadow's eyes widened as he quickly killed the Chaos energy going down to his shoes, coming to a stop less than twenty feet away from the speedy creature. The black hedgehog turned around, eyes narrowed as he watched the cloud of dust go through the rolling plains with ease. A small figure was in the middle of the chaos, and no amount of squinting allowed Shadow to see the entity completely. The fact it was getting farther and farther away only made things worse.

That speed is unnatural...but it couldn't be a robot, it was too small for the current technological advancements the Ultimate Lifeform knew of. Ruby eyes narrowed suspiciously. It would meant that this object wasn't a machine, but rather organic. A sapien, probably.

But the only one who could run at those speeds besides himself was...

Heart pumping loudly in his ears, Shadow broke into a dead sprint; he tore through the land with ease, his emotions causing the Chaos to pump through his special shoes even faster. Ruby flames burst from the sole of the apparels, and their owner reached the escapee with relative ease.

As he edged closer and closer to the mysterious being, more details came to light that weighted in favour of his theory. That svelte figure with the downturned spines looked oddly familiar...

...it couldn't be, could it? After this long? He'd expected his counterpart to flee halfway across the world after their last encounter. To Christmas Island, or even the monkey isles. Not this close.

He should have looked harder. How much had the young Ultimate Lifeform gone through? Sonic wasn't as strong as he was; he had only his speed on his side, and he was incredibly ignorant of the world around him. Shadow knew firsthand how cruel the people of Mobius could be. The though of the youngster alone in such a terrible place had plagued him for many days.

With a final burst of determination, the dark male sped pass the figure and stopped a hard in front of him, the sudden body blocking his way forcing the speeding object to stop.

The dust settled painfully slowly in the Ultimate Lifeform's point of view. Shadow waited with bathed breath as a familiar hedgehog brushed off flecks of dirt and grass off his bright blue cobalt pelt. The green eyes that could put a Chaos Emerald to shame met with his.

"Hey pal, whatcha doing chasing me around -Shadow?!"

Surprised ruby met alarmed jade, and the immortal quickly came to the understanding that convicting the other to return to his side wasn't going to be as easy as he thought.

xxxxxxxx

Sonic's mind went blank as he kept staring at the ebony hedgehog less than ten feet away from him, looking just as surprised and lost as he was.

It was him. It was Shadow. Terror and hope both rose up at the sight of the older Ultimate Lifeform, and the blue hedgehog's breath hitched slightly as he took a step back, unsure if he should run. Would he be able to get away...?

The cerulean speedster shifted slightly on his feet, silently praying that the obsidian immortal didn't notice the change of stance. The blue one knew the surrounding zone like the back of his hand; if he could get even the smallest of headstart on the dark warrior, Sonic was certain he would be able to get away from his counterpart.

"Sonic-" A low growl cut the elder male off.

Shadow stopped immediately, not wanting to push his companion into running.

"Get away." Sonic said shakily, struggling to make his voice as menacing as he could. Blue ears lowered as he eyed the taller immortal, wary. The scared hedgehog took a step back as he prepared to take off, not missing the growing tenseness in the . "Stay away from me, got that?"

The scarlet orbs that made him shiver with both want and fear suddenly darkened. "Hedgehog, if you think -argh!"

The stronger Ultimate Lifeform stumbled back, clutching his face and coughing as he tried to get the dirt particles out of his eyes. Sonic had wasted no time upon hearing the menacing tone and had quickly grabbed a handful of dirt, chucked it at the unaware elder's face before turning around. The terrified male took off in a dead sprint across the plains, not wanting to be caught by the obsidian male.

He had spent enough days exploring the landscape around Knothole to know it like the back of his hand, especially the forests. He had the advantage in both speed and knowledge here, and the thought gave him a bit of courage. He wouldn't allow himself to be caught, not without a fight.

Shadow was able to open his eyes just in time to see the blue one disappear halfway across the plains and literally diving into the thick forests. His instincts flared at the sight of his young mate running away, the thought of a chase but worrying and exciting him. Why had the other run away? Was Sonic so terrified of him?

 _I need to talk to him._ The dark form lunged after the smaller immortal, blood boiling as he tore through the plains in record speeds and entered the forest. The smell of sweet and spices was waffling the air, his sensitive nose quickly tracking down the direction Sonic had gone. He needed to see the blue hedgehog again. To hold him. To say how _sorry_ he was. To have him in his arms again.

But for all of that, he needed to catch the little speedster.

And Sonic was most certainly living up to his name.

The cerulean immortal was even faster than before, if that was possible. For Shadow, who was stumbling and having difficulty weaving through the dense woods with his bulkier stature, it felt like a human chasing after a terrified deer. Sonic was quick, insanely so, only flashes of sapphire at the edge of the black and red male's vision reminding him of who he was trying to capture. If he hadn't memorized the younger's intoxicating scent, Shadow knew he would have lost Sonic by now.

The obsidian warrior however was nothing if not stubborn, and while he didn't have the advantage in speed -as Sonic was a smudge faster than himself- he had however the advantage in stamina. The blue hedgehog had spent less than a month outside his prison of ice, metal and glass; Shadow had spent more than twenty years at large ever since he escaped the clutches of G.U.N., constantly on the run, tearing his way across Mobius as countries and organizations left and right tried to capture him for his power.

He was used to fighting in all kinds of situations and terrains; Sonic wasn't, not by a long shot. The blue one was like a young falcon, recklessly blasting across the open skies. It wouldn't be long until he dived a bit too far and crashed.

Shadow didn't have to wait long.

The sapphire hedgehog tried to turn around a thick oak tree in a attempt to trick him into giving the speedster more distance. The Ultimate Lifeform however took advantage of this swift turn and stopped completely before he reached the trunk. The more experienced warrior waited for Sonic to make his turn around the massive tree before he lunged, tackling the smaller male off his feet.

The younger immortal squawked as he felt a pair of arms encircle him, pressing him against a familiar chest moments before he hit the ground. A grunt left Sonic as he was crushed beneath the larger body of his mate, but despite the fear and shock he felt at finally being caught the blue one began fighting and kicking, going as far as biting down on a black shoulder in a attempt to to slacken the iron hold the older male had on him.

Shadow's heart leapt as his plan worked -only to grunt as he felt a pair of sharp teeth sink into the flesh of his right shoulder, nearly making him jump off the fallen blue hedgehog. He had enough self-control to refrain from it however, and snarled viciously as he grabbed blue quills and pulled back, forcing Sonic to let go and pressing the smaller male's head against the grass.

The young Ultimate Lifeform shivered as he heard the animalistic growl, holding back a whimper as a large hand roughly grabbed his sensitive quills and used them to push his head against the floor. Shadow loomed over him, sharp ruby eyes narrowed to slits as he stared down at the trapped male with a mixture of emotions Sonic could not identify.

"Now..." The victor began ominously as he tightened his grip on the flailing immortal's wrists with the use of his second hand, observing the struggling blue hedgehog intensely. Sonic met his gaze with furious jade orbs, the meekness that had been once there when he'd lived with the black creature long gone, something the said male noticed immediately.

This only made things even more interesting.

"I think we have some things to discuss."


	16. Chapter 16

"There's nothing to speak about." Sonic spoke sharply, green eyes dark with danger. "Now let me go, otherwise you're going to have a very bad time, pal."

The ruby eyes blinked slowly, taken off guard by the venom in the youngster voice, as well as the lack of waver in the other's words. Gone was the raspy undertone Shadow has gotten used to hearing, replaced by a soft yet firm voice full of confidence -as well as anger. Lots and lots of anger.

It was a miracle the other didn't reduce him to ashes with his glare alone. There was no denying that Sonic had grown during their separation.

"You can speak." Shadow remarked abruptly, surprised by the turn of events.

His captive shifted beneath him, quills twitching within the elder's painful grasp. "I always could."

Shadow growled at the uninterested tone. "No -stupid hedgehog, I meant..." He gestured the younger immortal's throat, nudging the soft brown bandana with a flick of his wrist. The smaller male's throat became exposed, the once pale and slightly wrinkly skin damaged by the cryogenic chamber now covered with a healthy tuff of sapphire fur.

Sonic hissed loudly at the breach of personal space, and the black hedgehog wisely backed off, dropping the bandana back to its rightful place. He shifted atop of the smaller male, sitting on his captive's torso as to secure his place over the cobalt immortal. Like this, he wasn't in danger of being hit by the blue one's powerful legs, and the older Ultimate Lifeform could easily jump off the cerulean speedster if the situation asked for it.

Sonic's murderous gaze was enough of a answer that his sudden movement was not appreciated.

"Yes, I can speak." The blue one said irritatly, squirming beneath the black form slightly, settling as a unimpressed Shadow used his weight to keep him still. "Now. Get. Off. I have people to meet, and you sure as hell aren't part of them."

He has changed. Shadow realized as he examined the younger's expression, noting the fire in the burning emerald eyes. He's not weak anymore, isn't he? Clearing his throat, the elder spoke up. "There are things we have to address, hedgehog. There won't be any running away this time until I'm done talking to you."

"Funny." Sonic sneered. "The last time I ran away, it was because you were trying to murder me."

"I wasn't going to kill you." Shadow said all too quickly. Realizing the misstep, the Ultimate Lifeform looked away, left ear flicking, signalling his inner conflict. "I just...lost control." The elder spoke slowly, a hint of a growl leaving him as he heard the one beneath him chuckle.

"That's what you're calling it?" His captive said mockingly, jade eyes narrowing. "I never thought you would be so emotional."

Shadow couldn't help himself; his hand shot out and grabbed a slender neck tightly. The smaller immortal yelped slightly upon feeling the unforgiving grip of the warrior around his delicate neck. He fought slightly, managing to free one of his arms which he used to grab the other's wrist, keeping him from completing the instinctive movement. With the strength the obsidian one wielded, he could easily shatter his spine.

Unlike last time, he couldn't miraculously escape, not trapped like this. There was no room for error here.

Scared on the inside but still confident of his chances of escaping if he played his cards right, Sonic looking at him victoriously. Shadow bit back the urge to snap the youngster's neck upon realizing he had walked right into the other's trap. A mumbled apology left tab lips as he removed his hand from the healing skin of the younger's neck, gloved fingers sliding across the fawn fur of his unwilling companion's chest in a silent but heartfelt apology.

That moment of regret proved to be a mistake.

The sapphire one had one free hand, but he was determined to use it. The gloved digits immediately let go of a scarlet striped wrist, pausing briefly upon feeling the light caress on his aching chest. Sonic's anger quickly burned through his insecurity however, and he curled his hand into a fist before ramming it into Shadow's left eye.

The Ultimate Lifeform was too surprised by the sudden aggression to escape the blow, a small roar leaving the creature as his mate's small fist nearly ruptured his vulnerable eye. The dark hedgehog stumbled back, falling on his side as he clutched his bleeding socket tightly. It would heal within moment, he knew, but the violence coming from the younger had taken him off guard.

Clearly Sonic wasn't the shy and submissive creature he had become used to. From the other's glare alone, Shadow understood that his little counterpart had become much more dangerous and independent. His lack of strength handicapped the hybrid greatly, but his impressive speed made for it. Not to mention, he was unpredictable. His sudden attack had proved it.

Ruby eyes regarded the rising blue mobian warily, waiting for the other's next move. Shadow bit down the urge to snarl as he felt the tissues of his eye slowly knit back together, allowing him to see again. Brushing the blood away, the Ultimate Lifeform slowly stood up, keeping a arm back in case he needed to summon his signature weapon.

Hurting the weaker immortal wasn't part of the plan, but he was starting to think he would have to risk it. Upon seeing his opponent rise, Shadow would have expected the blue hybrid to take off. Only this time, Sonic wasn't running. He stood there, less than a feet away from him, the bright green eyes burning with emotions the elder couldn't even begin to describe.

Slowly, peach arms rose up, and gloved hands balled into fists. The Ultimate Lifeform regarded the raised limbs seriously, noting the challenging gleam in the cerulean's eyes. Sonic clearly wasn't going to back off this time.

"Why aren't you running away, hedgehog?" The obsidian weapon of mass destruction questioned, curious of this change. What would Sonic hope to win in this scenario? While his speed was amazing, it was nothing compared to the vast array of skills and weapons Shadow utilized.

There was nothing the following fight could provide but pain. Shadow had never been good at restraining his power in a battle; the chances of hurting the younger were high.

"I'm done." Sonic said firmly, his voice rising with each word. His body shook with barely restrained anger, something his opponent did not miss. "Done with running away, done with being scared of you!" The cerulean hedgehog snarled, ears falling flat against his skull. "If you're not going to leave me alone, Shadow, I'll _make_ you."

The window of negotiation was quickly closing, and the Ultimate Lifeform knew he needed to act quickly, otherwise the fight would be inevitable. "Why would I leave you alone, hedgehog?" He pressed, shifting his stance to a more open one as to show the other his reluctance to fight. "We are the same. If you're not with me, G.U.N. will find you."

"Bullshit. I've been doing fine for the past few days." Sonic snapped sharply, eyes narrowing.

The darker of the two opened his mouth to reply but before he could, the sapphire one was upon him like a whirlwind of fury.

Shadow smoothly stepped to the right as a ball of razor quills tried to run him through, only managing to scratch his shoulder and make him bleed. His opponent hit a tree behind him and bounced off, the bark shaved clean off the trunk of the tree in the aftermath of the impact. It was clear Sonic was not holding back, and the scarlet striped male decided he wasn't going to restrain himself either.

Green danced around gloved fingertips as scarlet eyes followed the blue blur darting about the clearing, occasionally lunging at him but only managing to land glancing blows and small gashes as the older warrior effortlessly avoided them.

"Chaos Spear!" Shadow roared out, the atmosphere of the clearing immediately becoming thick and heavy from the amount of energy being summoned. He didn't miss the flinch Sonic made upon seeing the shimmering blades materialize above his head, waiting for his command.

Knowing a direct hit could prove to be fatal for the smaller male, Shadow threw the lances at the ground, making it explode. Sonic let out a muffled curse as he felt the earth beneath his feet cave in, and he lost control, tumbling to the floor and eating a mouthful of grass in the process. Seeing his chance, his opponent lunged at the fallen form, only to receive a sneaker to his stomach for his troubles as Sonic spun around like a street dancer, his left leg lifting up to catch his would be attacker's belly.

Stumbling back, Shadow snarled as he felt his new bruise throb, the dull pain only managing to anger him further. The sapphire hedgehog was not pulling any punches, and just as he had previously theorized, those long legs of his had unparalleled strength. It took a lot to make the Ultimate Lifeform stumble; it would bode well for him to avoid getting hit over the head by his counterpart's legs.

"Chaos Spear!" Reacting to his emotions, gold and green Chaos tore through the clearing and cracked the earth open in front of Sonic, sending the kneeling hedgehog flying on his back. Shadow charged at the fallen male but his counterpart was quicker, rising up and trying to kick him in the face with enough speed to shatter a normal mobian's skull.

The darker hybrid nimbly ducked under the swift blow and punched the other in the stomach, making Sonic gasp out in pain and double over. When Shadow tried to grab him and pin him down however, the blue hedgehog shot upwards and slammed his head against the older one's skull.

The elder stumbled back, clutching his head with a grimace while his opponent mimicked the action, the desperate attack hurting him just as much as Shadow. Having planned it, the blue hedgehog recovered quicker and slammed his left leg against the obsidian warrior's right knee, forcing the other down with little effort.

A dazed Shadow could only cursed softly as he was pressed down against the earth by his counterpart's foot. While it wasn't going to keep him trapped for long, the growing headache the Ultimate Lifeform was feeling prevented him from getting up immediately. It seemed that Sonic had as much of a thick skull as he did.

"Had enough?" The tired, panting but victorious immortal exclaimed mockingly overhead, burning green eyes staring down at him with clear smugness.

 _You're going to pay for this, hedgehog._ Shadow grunted as a scarlet shoe stomped hard on his chest, the dull pain lingering afterwards marking the appearance of a bruise. Not one to be defeated so easily, he reached out and grabbed the offending leg, sending a pulse of Chaos energy through the limb's nervous system.

"Owhf!" Sonic yelped as he lost balance, his leg refusing to answer his command. With a quiet hiss he felt on top of Shadow, the darker of the two wincing as his chest wound ached ached upon contact.

The two tired hedgehogs laid there for a moment, limp. Their exhaustion was getting the best of them, and the oldest of the two hybrids was too stubborn to let go of the younger's leg, believing that if he did so, the speedster would take off again. Shadow had spent too much time searching for his companion to let him slip away between his fingers.

"I hate you." Sonic mumbled incoherently through the black fur, ears flicking as he felt long fingers thread through the short fur of his upper back. He shivered weakly at the sensation, secretly enjoying the tingling that followed wherever the digits went.

"I know." The obsidian male declared simply, knowing that trying to argument with the younger would only result in another fight.

A soft, defeated sigh left the blue hedgehog atop of him, ruffling the fur of his chest, and upon hearing it the eldest Ultimate Lifeform couldn't help but smirk and chuckle lightly, amused. A small bite to his stomach from the aggravated male was quick to quiet him down, and Shadow went silent, not wanting to light the fires of fury anew. The tired immortals stayed where they were, refusing to move from the comfortable position they were in. The rage that clouded Sonic had abandoned him, and the sapphire one was left laying there, silently wondering what to do next.

A black nose twitched as their owner picked up a strange, sharp scent. Sonic blearily looked up, following his nose as green eyes scanned through deep black fur, quickly spotting the small but deep wound on Shadow's shoulder that had yet to heal. At the sight of the injury a wave of sadness overtook the youngest. Had the elder not possessed a incredible healing factor, that injury would have likely left a huge scar.

He hadn't meant to hit him that hard...but he'd been so angry and terrified, he couldn't help it...

Shadow let out a loud hiss as he felt a sharp pain from his injured shoulder. Thinking that his companion had decided to continue the fight again, he quickly sat up, staring down at the blue one in alarm.

Instead of seeing his counterpart trying to gnaw his arm off, he found himself looking on as the cobalt immortal continued to lick the wound clean, helping the skin and flesh close shut by removing the blood staining the ink black fur around the injury. Sonic stopped his treatment when he noticed the other watching him. Looking up at the elder through hooded, luminous green eyes, the sapphire male let out a soft huff before returning to his work, uncaring on the slightly incredulous stare of the obsidian warrior.

Surprised yet pleased by the turn of events, Shadow dropped back against the ground, his arms wrapped loosely against the smaller figure. He closed his eyes and gently slid to his side, curling up around Sonic defensively. The Ultimate Lifeform heard him yelp slightly at the change of position, but since the younger wasn't trying to wiggle out of his grip Shadow allowed himself to relax, a rare thing for the powerful immortal. Having spent most of his life on the constant move, he didn't remember the last time he was so at ease.

His focus shifted to the soft tongue finishing to clean his wound, the sensation of the moist appendage against his skin almost making him shiver. It felt good. Too good. One had to wonder what other things his companion could do with it... Shadow shuddered, digits digging slightly into the small body in his arms as he felt the other settle for a quick rest, unaware of the less than pure thoughts the elder was having. No. Now was not the time.

The last thing he wanted was to have Sonic attempt to kick his head off if he went too far. Merely having the younger Ultimate Lifeform close made his instincts purr in pleasure. This was enough for now. No need to push for something that could irrevocably change their relationship.

Not to mention that unlike the numerous females he'd slept before during his long lifespan, Sonic could bear his infants. His genes were too complex and different for a common Mobian to be able to be impregnated. It would be like trying to breed a lion with a dog. The cobalt hedgehog on the other hand was just like him if Robotnick's reports had any truth to them, and Sonic was likely to be only capable to bear the children of other Ultimate Lifeforms.

As tempting as a roll in the bedsheets with the mermerizing creature in his arms seemed, Shadow didn't think he would survive the following assault if Sonic did become pregnant.

His face suddenly twisted into a frown as he looked down at the half-asleep hybrid in his arms. Sonic had curled up against him, seemingly at peace despite the vicious fight they just had.

Why was he thinking about this, so soon? He was barely able to touch the other, and that was just after a battle. It was clear that the only reason he could hold the cobalt one was because Sonic was exhausted. Any other time, he would have gotten a kick to his shin for his troubles before the speedster took off into the wilderness once more.

Time.

That's what he needed.

With some time and patience, he could be able to make amends with Sonic.

Ebony ears flicked as the Ultimate Lifeform made himself comfortable on the forest floor. Sonic was asleep against him, the sapphire's face tucked in his neck as their bodies pressed together, legs entangled. Shadow allowed himself to sigh tiredly, his hold on the smaller one tightening briefly as he nuzzled plush blue quills.

This dilemma would be left for a later date. For now, sleep was more than welcome.

xxxxxxx

Creatures of all different types and sizes scattered as a dark phantom glided over them, black robes brushing against the organic floor of their home. Ruby eyes of multiple sizes and shapes looked on curiously as the great horned master of the ship came to a stop in front of a great window that allowed the entity to gaze out into the vast void of space.

Below, a bright blue planet continued its slow, time loud travel across the planetary system, it's inhabitants unaware of the horror that was about to fall upon them.

Black Doom's three eyes never strayed from the odd little ball full of life, much like a cat watched a injured bird cry for help as the predator stalked closer and closer. The immortal still idly wondered for another time if collaborating with the frail one had been a good idea. He trusted his genes to guide the creation to the right path -not that Black Doom couldn't force the creature along- but he did not trust the technology of the tiny planet below.

Gerald had been a brilliant individual compared to the rest of this planet's inhabitants, but Black Doom knew the human had been nothing but a speck of dirt compared to many other races of this galaxy, many the Black Arms had driven to extinction.

Dark claws glided over glass, uncaring of the faint marks the talons left behind. Yes, he would need to test his descendant before proving him to be any worth. He'd only briefly seen the creature while it still resided in it's capsule; it would be impossible to asses it's power from such a small amount of information.

His gaze wandered away from the planet below, onto his fleet. Cloaked from the mortals' sight with technology stolen from their many adversaries, the ships glided around the mass of the Comet, awaiting his command. Black Doom watched on as his troops prepared for the inevitable battle ahead, obsidian talons tapping idly against the edge of the window.

It would be so easy. A simple pulse through the hive mind would send his brethren into a frenzy. With their higher numbers, it would take little time for the humans to be eliminated. The power Black Doom had over that little ball of dirt was overwhelming.

He'd felt this many times before.

Normally Black Doom would have sent the message. The alien leader would have watched, completely detached, as his kind tore the mortals apart.

Now however, the mortals had something he needed and until the master of the Black Comet obtained what he was after, the humans would have mercy.

With the empowering sense of victory looming near, Black Doom spun around and headed towards the entrance of the chamber, rotting robes billowing around him as the crowd of soldiers parted in front of him. A small, tentacled creature with a single eye flew after him, following the horned leader faithfully.

It was time Black Doom met his heir.

* * *

 **Sorry for the long wait guys, had to grieve. One of my pets died and I wasn't feeling like doing much. I've gotten better now though. Went to read some Sonadow, noticed there was next to nothing to read, so I said that won't do, got up and finished this chapter XD**


	17. Chapter 17

Sonic awoke refreshed and relaxed, his mind at ease and his instincts purring loudly in his ears. Fluttering green eyes chased away slumber as the young hybrid blearily looked around, the soft dance of a breeze rustling his pelt, bright sapphire mingling with obsidian as a result.

All too aware of the sleeping male at his side, the immortal shifted uneasily in his partner's hold, a soft growl leaving him as the clearly still sleeping Ultimate Lifeform pulled him closer. The red striped arms were wrapped low around his waist, keeping him where he was. Resisting the urge to punch the other in the face for his possessive attitude -even if the other was asleep and in no control of his subconscious- Sonic flopped back down at his counterpart's side, burying his face into a obsidian shoulder in a attempt to hide his scowl.

He couldn't deny it anymore. The elder made him feel safe. With the damage done by the cryogenic chamber Sonic remembered few details of his life at G.U.N., but he knew he had spent it in horrendous conditions, far worse than what Shadow had put him through in that brief moment of senseless anger. Just trying to bring back the memories made him feel as if a bucket of cold water was dropped on top of him.

For his entire life he'd craved even the smallest shred of safety and comfort, and now he'd had a taste of the sensation, Sonic was going to fight tooth and nail to keep it from flying away...yet that trust, that feeling of safety Shadow exhumed after saving him had been destroyed after the elder's fit of rage. After all, doing it once certainly meant the elder could do it again, and next time Sonic may not be just as lucky...

That resentment of the other was still there, just like that feeling of safety and comfort. It became mere fragments that mingled with the sharp sense of fear he felt ever since the incident, tearing his mind in two. He could trust the other and let him into his life again, or he could walk away and settle at Knothole for the next few decades...but things weren't as easily done.

Would Shadow even let him leave? Or would he drag him back to his base, kicking and screaming?

He wasn't sure.

Biting his lower lip at the internal conflict, the blue male relaxed in his partner's hold. He silently examined the soft fur of the elder's shoulder, letting his hands slide through the obsidian pelt and frowning at the sensation. It felt silky, yet sturdy. Such a strange combination...

Sonic laid there until a low groan broke through the fragile barrier of silence, drawing his attention and signalling the return of his companion's consciousness. The sapphire one waited with bathed breath as he felt Shadow shift against him, the elder slowly awakening from his slumber. Sharp talons glided through sapphire fur, forcing a shiver out of Sonic as he felt the claws snake up his spine. The gesture made him arch slightly against the older Ultimate Lifeform with a stifled hiss, hating his own traitorous reaction to the gentle touch.

It was only after a minute of thick, stretched silence that Shadow spoke.

"You're leaving." It was spoken with a firm voice, lacking any form of aggression, yet Sonic still managed to shudder at his companion's words. Why was he feeling guilty? He wanted to leave, damn it! There was nothing wrong about wanting to leave all of his past, Shadow included, behind!

And yet...

...and yet, he longed for it. As easily as he could run away, he could also lay back down and cuddle with the charcoal male, run his fingers through silky obsidian fur and enjoy the safety, comfort and pleasure the other could offer.

Did he love Shadow? He didn't know. He didn't _want_ to know the answer. Sonic knew he felt something for the other Ultimate Lifeform, a bond as the only ones of their kind to exist in this strange and unknown world. He liked the other's company -when said male wasn't trying to kill him- but it had been less than a month since his rescue from the cryogenic chamber. He couldn't love Shadow, not in such a small window of time. Hell, he barely knew anything about the elder. As much as his instincts sang for the other, his mind was insecure.

But affection? Definitely. Sonic wasn't going to refute the fact that he felt happy in the older warrior's comfortable embrace.

Biting his lower lip, the sapphire hedgehog refused to meet his companion's gaze as he struggled to find a suitable answer to Shadow's demand. He sat up on his bottom, pushing slightly against the embrace as to stand up completely but pausing as he felt a weak resistance from the striped arms wrapped around his waist. Clearly, his companion wasn't going to let go of him anytime soon, not without reason.

"I am." He finally began, his tongue feeling as if it was made of lead. "I can do what I want, Shadow. It would be foolish for you to assume I'll stay here just because we slept together." He missed the slight choked sound Shadow made at the suggestive word. When Sonic looked back at him, the older male was stoic and poised as ever.

Shadow cleared his throat as he sat up, joining his smaller companion. His fingers travelled across fawn fur, sinking into the silky pelt and scratching the speedster's belly softly. In any other scenario, Sonic would have melted right back into the immortal's lap, letting Shadow do whatever he wished to his pliant body.

Not now however. He was pass that. He was strong; he wasn't going to be another's plaything anymore.

"It would also be foolish for you to assume you will be safe here." Shadow muttered behind him, his breath ghosting over a blue neck. Sonic barely managed to keep himself still. If it was a ploy made to unnerve him, it was working well. "You don't know this world as well as I do. G.U.N. will find you."

"Maybe, but I know people who can help." The cobalt male bit back cockily, confidence returning as the memory of his friends' faces flashed in front of his eyes. "I haven't lazed about these past few days, Shadow. I know what I'm doing." He paused, ears flicking, betraying his conflicted state as he angled his head to the side, emerald clashing with ruby. "...I don't need to rely on you."

Not anymore.

They stared at each other, lapsing back into silence. Sonic fidgeted in his companion's arms, well aware that he was in a complete disadvantage in this position. One mutter from Shadow, and he could be teleported halfway across the world and locked inside a bunker again before he could say another word.

"Go."

Sonic blinked, his ears picking up on the firm voice, yet his suddenly foggy mind unable to formulate a answer to the sudden exclamation. Green eyes fluttered once, twice. He continued to stare owlishly at the older male, who stared right back stoically, though his eyes betrayed a hint of amusement at the sapphire hedgehog's gaping expression.

"What."

"Go." Shadow repeated, his voice stronger than before. "I cannot keep you -it would be hypocritical of me to bind you to my side. I fought for my freedom. I'm not going to steal yours." Shadow's scarlet eyes shone like molten lava as he placed a hand on Sonic's shoulder, ruby orbs searching deep in the young one's soul. "Start living, hedgehog. G.U.N. is mine to deal with."

Sonic could only stare at the Ultimate Lifeform in belayed silence, not believe what he was hearing. Just like that, he was free? No more persecution? No more men coming to lock him away in a cryogenic tube? He couldn't believe it.

Yet the serious look on Shadow's face was proof it was no lie.

"Thank you." Sonic said from the bottom of his heart, feeling a sudden surge of gratitude towards the older male. Shadow's expression remained the same, closed and cold, but his eyes were softer now; betraying his pleased state, the twin rubies glowed like a campfire, warm and inviting.

Before he could understand what he was doing, Sonic lurched forwards and caught Shadow in kiss so intense it made his toes curl.

The larger form tensed against him and for a moment he thought the Ultimate Lifeform was going to shove him away, only for his heart to skip a beat as Shadow quickly regained his bearings and push back against his lips. The arm around his blue waist suddenly tightened, pulling him onto the obsidian warrior's lap. There was no space left between the two hybrids as they fiercely battle for dominance, Sonic quickly losing due to inexperience as Shadow forced his tongue into his mouth, the sudden appearance of the slick appendage throwing the cobalt male for a loop.

He lost count of the times when his lips were nibbled, of how his tongue fiercely danced with Shadow's despite his disadvantage, the younger of the two trying to regain some form of upper edge but melting when the darker immortal ran a hand down his belly before settling between his legs, massaging the blue fur there with care. Sonic hissed through the fierce kiss as he felt a unfamiliar warmth rise from his belly, making him shiver with uncertainty and desire. He pulled his lips away from Shadow, green eyes sliding shut as he panted, unsure of what to do next.

The panting hedgehog felt a warm breath against his neck, alerting him of the elder's continued closeness. The other barely seemed winded by the activity... He twitched was he felt a soft pair of lips on his throat, touching his sweaty skin for the smallest of moments before pulling area. Cracking his eyes open, Sonic found himself under the scrutinizing stare of the stronger Ultimate Lifelform. Shadow was examining him with a unreadable expression, smoldering rubies hard and unforgiving.

It made the sapphire hybrid nervous. Fidgeting, the cobalt male suddenly found himself wishing he hadn't kissed the older Ultimate Lifeform. The risks were too great. It had opened the door for a whole array of problems he wasn't ready to deal.

(He shouldn't even be thinking of getting attached.)

Just when Sonic couldn't bear the intense silence however, something in Shadow's expression lightened and the scarlet striped warrior reached up, hand snaking around his neck and nestling into his quills again, pushing the cobalt hedgehog forwards. A nervous Sonic could only brace himself for what would follow, but instead a kiss or a punch, he was surprised to feel a pair of lips press against his forehead, the gentle touch making him melt in his counterpart's lap. He felt no desire in the kiss, no lust or a demand dominance; it was just a simple contact, a caress that put him instinctively at ease.

"Don't you have somewhere you need to go?" Blinking dazedly at the sudden voice piercing his bubble of calm, green eyes flicked down at burning rubies.

"Huh...?"

The corners of Shadow's lips twitched at the inarticulate response. Securing his grip on the sapphire male he gently stood up, earning himself a small help of surprise from his companion. Letting Sonic's feet rest back on the ground, Shadow's hands trailed across lush blue fur for a few more seconds before the obsidian warrior stepped back, letting the speedster have his space.

With the lack of muscular body pressing against his own and the musk smell driving him mad, Sonic was finally able to coax his tongue to work properly, and not flop around like a retarded fish on land:

"Oh, huh...I...guess I'll see you around?" The blue hybrid said softly, glancing at the sky. It was getting late. Tails was going to be worried...

(And Knuckles was probably going to send him to his room. With no dinner. Again.)

"Indeed." Shadow replied, the amusement fading as he looked at the other in the eye. "Good luck, hedgehog." There was no need to explain why he said that. Despite his promise to deal with the organization by himself, there was the chance G.U.N. slipped through and tried to capture Sonic. Following the Commander's movements was like trying to catch a slipper eel.

Surprised by the sudden change of tone, Sonic's eyes narrowed and he nodded sharply. "Thanks."

And then, with only a soft gust of wind to mark his departure, the sapphire hedgehog that had been the cause of Shadow insomnia for the past week was gone, released back into the wilds of Mobius where he belonged.

* * *

 **I should have posted the next chapter of Broken Stream, but I had this done, so fans of my other Sonadow will have to wait a bit more. I'm working on improving the writing style of Broken Stream, so next chapter should be here in the next five days or so.**

 **Apologies for not responding to your reviews guys. Life kicked me in the head, and school kicked me in the ovaries. Not much time for writing lately, but I'll pick up my rhythm soon enough!**


	18. Chapter 18

**Will you guys not kill me if I say I had this chapter written out last week? All done and everything?**

 **Wait.**

 **No.**

 **That's not how it works.**

 **XD In any case, here's the next chapter. No Sonic this time, sorry my friends ;D**

* * *

The sweet and spicy smell of the young beauty still contaminated the area, bringing back the sense of longing that had plagued the ebony male for so long. He closed his eyes and took in a deep breath, focusing on banishing this feeling from his psyche. He was the Ultimate Lifeform. He couldn't be brought to a blubbering mess -again- because of a simple smell.

No matter how it called for him.

Upon regaining his bearings, Shadow slowly turned away, resisting the urge to chase after the fleeing speedster. Almost a minute had passed since the younger's departure; there was no way he would be able to catch up to Sonic while the hybrid had such a big head start.

It was unlikely he was going to see the other anytime soon.

Something within him ached at the thought, but Shadow mercilessly crushed it with ease. There was nothing he could do about it now. Sonic had chosen to create his own path; he would not interfere with the younger Ultimate Lifeform's wishes, no matter how much he disliked the blue one's choice. G.U.N. had stolen his right to choose, more than fifty years ago. He wasn't going to swoop that low, even if his mind was starting to long for Sonic's presence again mere minutes after the young one left.

It wasn't love, Shadow knew it. He barely knew the other member of his specie, but the feeling of longing was ingrained in his mind. And Sonic wasn't that bad; the smaller immortal was surprisingly determined if their fight had anything to do with it. It was clear the blue one wasn't going to win, even with Shadow holding back, but he still tried, fighting for his freedom with a fire the older Ultimate Lifeform had seen in few people.

And that kiss...

As soon as the memory of that mind-numbing embrace made itself know, Shadow quickly grabbed it and threw it back to the corners of his mind, not wanting to be reduced to a longing mess anytime soon.

He felt something within the depths of his soul rear up and glare at him through hooded eyes, promising retribution for letting the sapphire beauty leave without him. A part of the Ultimate Lifeform felt that since Sonic was the only other member of his specie, as well as the only immortal that could bear children, the cobalt one belonged to him. Shadow felt disgusted to think about another living being as property, but he couldn't help himself. Sonic was sentient entity; his only master was himself, not Shadow.

...but in a way, he was. Sonic was after all the only other one of their kind, and should the younger hedgehog ever want to find comradeship or even a partner, he would be unable to. As a Ultimate Lifeform, time flew by with a blink of an eye. Should Sonic have a mobian mate, they would be sure to die quickly. It was just the way things were. A Ultimate Lifeform was a unsurpassable rock in the flow of time, eternal and powerful.

Humanity's greatest creation, and their most hated enemy.

Chasing those thoughts away, Shadow made his way out of the forest, a hand, trailing up to grab the red Chaos Emerald from his quills. The jewel glowed brightly in his grasp as he concentrated on it, using the beacon-like presence of the mythical gem on the Chaos Field to detect its closest sibling.

He felt his teeth clench as he finally locate the artifact, displeasure coursing through him as he found where it rested. As luck would have it, the next Chaos Emerald was in the same direction Sonic had taken off. Hopefully he wouldn't run into the cobalt hedgehog; it would be hard to explain that he wasn't following him.

There is nothing simple for me, is there? Shadow wondered idly as he pocketed the Chaos Emerald, not wanting to risk dropping it while he was running.

Just when he was about to take off in the direction of the next gem however, the ebony hedgehog paused as he felt something shift in the air, a change in the Chaos Field only a being as sensitive as him would notice.

Alarmed and wary, Shadow glanced around frowning how the skies seemed a tad bit darker and the vegetation a lot more grey than previously seen. A heavy, rotted smell made its way into his nose, nearly making him cringe.

 **"Shadow..."**

The Ultimate Lifeform stiffened, perked ears barely catching the distorted whisper. The black hedgehog turned around, ruby eyes scanning the scenery attentively one more time.

 **"It's time..."**

Ruby eyes flicked upwards at the second, stronger whisper, a eyebrow arching as his sharp eyes picked up something small and black floating down towards him. The creature was small, a massive, shimmering eyes of orange and red fixed on him as six long tendrils of flesh fluttered around the animal. It hovered in middair, paying no mind to the laws of physics it was breaking as it slowly circled Shadow, that shiny, unearthly eye not unlike his own fixed on him, unrelenting.

He returned the glare tenfold, his fingers twitching with the urge to summon Chaos and pulverize the being. During his many years of travelling across the globe he'd never encounter such a strange creature, and the lack of knowledge made him restless. Shadow hated not knowing. Not knowing meant having a weakness, something his enemies could sink their claws in, dig deep in his flesh, bleed him out; not knowing had gotten Maria killed.

"What do you want?" His voice was lost in the howling wind and restless grass.

 **"I came with a offer.** " The thing's eye shone, a mixture of red and orange, of greed and satisfaction. **"One you do well to accept, Shadow."**

The threat was clear.

The Ultimate Lifeform rose to his full height, a menacing glower invading his features. He would never allow anyone to boss him around, but he was interested in what the thing wanted. "Start talking."

He almost thought the star-shaped beast was smirking.

A sudden flare in the Chaos Field startled Shadow into action; a glowing lance of light materialized itself in his hands, heat radiating from it's arrow-shaped form. A snarl left the weapon of mass destruction as the world around him shifted, the green of the grass withering away with smooth, metallic obsidian crawling over it, turning the vast plains of Mobius into something else entirely. Red eyes blinked repeatedly as the Ultimate Lifeform looked around, growling softly at his new surroundings.

The once fresh and wild Chaos Field was nowhere in sight, replaced by a more oppressive sensation, a pressure he'd been familiar with during his childhood. Scarlet eyes took noticed of the massive window at his back, the round mass of green and blue below eerily familiar. Shadow stared at the small planet of Mobius for a moment before his anger at the unwanted Chaos Control caught up to him and he turned back around, clutching his weapon tighter, just begging his unknown opponent to give him another excuse so he could tear the insolent fool to shreds.

Thousands of ruby eyes not unlike his own stared right back, the star-like creature hovering over Shadow's head as he was momentarily stunned by the sight of the small army.

(This really wasn't how he expected his day to turn out.)

 **"Welcome home, Shadow."** The thing continued, though this time it's voice, curiously enough, came from elsewhere. The rows of creatures standing around him blocking all exits parted as something glided towards him, making the Ultimate Lifeform tense.

Twin jagged horns graced the newcomer's face; three red eyes looked down at him, a calculative, cold glint that reminded Shadow of himself scanned his form, prodding for something. The obsidian male fought the urge to attack, knowing striking at his kidnapper's most vulnerable would be the only way he would get out of here. Because if that thing had managed to use Chaos Control, it wouldn't be that far of a stretch to think it could negate the technique if he tried to leave in plain view.

The wrath-like creature slowly circled him, cocking its head to the side curiously. **"You have grown very little, Shadow. I'd expected you to be taller."**

 _I'm tall for a mobian, fuck off._

Shadow wisely kept his mouth shut.

"Should I know you?"

 **"I was Gerald's...employer, if you will. Now that I've returned to this planet, I've come to collect my prize.** " The thing's eyes shone. **"He promised me a weapon, birthed from my blood. From what my spies have gathered, his design was flawless. Pity he was only human."**

Shadow wasn't liking the sound of that. A weapon?

And the beast spoke about blood and being birthed from it...

... _birthed_...

The realization slowly struck him as he stared at the creature, realizing for he first time what he saw. Black skin. Red stripes. Red eyes. Powerful Chaos energy. _This thing was his genetic donor._

(What the hell had Gerald left him to deal with?)

"What do you want with me?" He called out, his voice, a mere whisper, echoing across the chamber. The monster around him shifted, hundreds of claws sliding against stone as they looked at him expectingly, muscles flexing as they held themselves back from attacking.

 **"A partnership, if you will."** The beast hissed, hovering closer, burning eyes staring straight into his soul. **"I want something this miserable ball of dirt houses, and I've come to understand you are in search of something."** It seemed to smile, a cruel, voracious grin that rubbed the Ultimate Lifeform the wrong way. **"Revenge."**

Shadow's eyes narrowed into thin slits of red. "You know nothing."

 **"I know everything, Shadow. There is no need to be ashamed of wanting to hurt someone, to _take_ what you want and destroy those you hate. It's in your blood."** The thing goaded, eyes so alike his own glowing brighter as it pointed at the planet below with a curved talon. **"Join me, and your revenge will be sated! Once I have the Chaos Emeralds, I will let you rule over this world. You will become a king among mortals, a god!"** It let out a booming laugh, turning back to him, dark robes fluttering around it's body like shadows.

 ** _"For the Chaos Emeralds, Mobius will be yours."_**

The Ultimate Lifeform did not answer.

Shadow eyed the creatures gathered around him, quickly calculating his odds of success as ruby eyes scanned the crowd of beings. Despite being confident of his ability to overwhelm anyone on Mobius, this crowd -this army- wasn't from the small planet. Each and every one of the Black Arms had a sizeable pool of Chaos energy, and Black Doom himself was a beacon in the Chaos Field, a burning sun impossible to miss.

(How had the creature gotten so close to Mobius without being detected?)

Fighting was not the wisest option on the table.

He needed to wait, observe, and calculate his actions carefully.

"Deal."

Black Doom seemed to smile at this, dark skin stretching upwards around that strange round mouth, and for what felt the first time in many to come Shadow wondered what the hell did he get dragged into.


	19. Chapter 19

***Dies under the weight of thousand angry readers.***

 _ **Nothing I say is gonna get me out of this mess, is it. Work, school and personal projects have taken up most of my time, so I didn't have the drive to write lately. The fact that we are reaching a delicate point in the story also didn't work in my favor.**_

 _ **I will be faster next time, don't worry. Got most of the next three chapters planned out, so it won't be as hair-pulling as this one. Besides, I have a three-shot Sonadow story for December (not about holidays, god no), so I'm getting back into writing once school is done. Expect it to be out in a week.**_

* * *

Sonic never felt this light before.

The blue hedgehog almost pranced across the plains of Green Hills, bouncing around akin to a smug feral deer and not giving a single fuck about being seen. He felt great. More than great, he felt amazing! A weight had been lifted from his shoulders; the cobalt male could almost float away with the breeze, so happy he was.

No more danger. No more G.U.N. No more Shadow.

He was free.

The speedster felt so euphoric, he felt as if he was going to float away. Despite his short time with the darker male, he knew Shadow would keep his promise. The elder wasn't going to keep him in a cage anymore, he wasn't going to see the other Ultimate Lifeform unless he reached out to Shadow.

And the obsidian one had promised to take the attention off his back when it came to G.U.N. That felt pretty good! No more looking over his shoulder, waiting for men armed to the teeth to kick down the workshop door and drag him away kicking and screaming, to shove him inside a cryogenic capsule and keep him there for the rest of eternity-

(Sonic stopped that trail of thought immediately.)

Regardless, he was finally, completely, utterly free. He could go anywhere he wanted, nothing held him back!

Well, not quite... Green eyes lit up as he thought of his friends. Tails, Knuckles and Amy were pretty great, when he paid off his debt Sonic was starting to like the idea with staying with the mobians. They were welcoming and helpful, far more than any other person he could remember meeting -though that meant little. He was still very new to this world and it's inhabitants.

A dark shadow passed over Sonic at the thought of his fragmented memories, forcing him to slow his run to a jog as he headed towards Knothole. The young male felt painfully aware of the truth; he could remember very little, if nothing at all from his past. The speedster knew how to count, how to read and how write, he knew what he was and what he was meant to do, but everything else?

A blank spot. Nothingness.

Why couldn't he remember? How could he know, but at the same time _couldn't_? It frustrated him...but at the same time a part of him didn't want to know. He'd spent enough time with Tails to know how bad G.U.N.'s regime was; if the humans could do that to innocent people, what had they done to him? Maybe some things are better left forgotten.

He decided it was best to leave those kind of thoughts behind. They were certainly not healthy to think about. Blinking away those dark thoughts, Sonic noticed that he'd come to a stop at a hilltop, right next to a old tree.

The uneasy sensation he'd felt while thinking about his past wasn't going away. Sonic frowned and tried to think of lighter memories -Tails' attempts at making decent food, Knuckles' wise purple eyes, Amy's laughter- but no matter how hard he tried, it remained there, a dark shadow looming over him, stubbornly refusing to let go.

It took a moment for him to realize that his pondering wasn't the cause of his sudden uneasiness -and the answer was quite literally hanging over his head.

 _Since when is the sky red?!_

Apprehension coursed through his mind at the horrifying sight, the sudden change for clear blue to bloody scarlet throwing Sonic into a loop. It had been daily a few moments ago! In mind he was young and oblivious to the world, but the sudden weight he felt crashing down on him informed the confused speedster that this was far from a natural phenomenon. The Chaos energy around him felt heavy and poisoned, the feeling making his insides curl with dread.

 _What was causing this? Who would be cruel enough to cause this?_ Sonic thought as he watched the scarlet skies with reserve. A piercing shriek from above caught his attention, making him falter. Green eyes widened as group of creature fell from the carmine skies, Chaos crackling around them as the entities landed heavily in front of him, making the cobalt one stumble.

Tall and muscular, with small heads and massive, brutish arms armed with powerful claws, the monsters utterly dwarfed the young Ultimate Lifeform. The biggest of them took a step forwards menacingly, making Sonic back away. This one was bulkier than the rest, with a long tail and a crest of black bones over it's head. It growled, muscles tensing as if to lunge at the terrified immortal -but it suddenly paused, sniffing the air, crooning curiously. The rest of the small group waited patiently, empty ruby eyes filled with only lust for battle stabbing into Sonic's apprehensive green ones.

For a moment, he wants to run. Just turn back, put his legs to use and disappear over the horizon. He could, oh so easily. The cobalt male's speed was nothing to balk at.

Yet he stood there, watching the thing approach like a deer about to be struck by a car.

Terrified.

Feet rooted to the ground.

The monstrous creature's head lowered to his level, scaled nostril flaring as it examined him. Sonic bit down a whine as the smell of rotting meat washed over him, making him feel dizzy and sick.

"...who...are you?" The beast seemed to stare even longer at him, intrigued by the hesitated stutter coming from the tiny creature at it's feet -before a sudden growl left its lips and it reared back, left arm raising to strike him down.

The band of creatures behind it made excited hissed and shrieks, seemingly happy to witness the blue hedgehog being torn apart. Sonic backed away and barely dodged the first strike, his heart pounding in his ears -but he failed to avoid the second one and was sent rolling across the grass, a broken wail leaving him as something snapped. His left side hurt, bruises quickly forming under his fur, but the cobalt male slowly stood up; clutching his injured side and staring at the approaching horde of creatures. For a moment he wanted to run, to flee, to hide, away from everything and everyone -he nearly did turn back and run.

His heart however leap up when he remembered Tails, Knuckles and Amy, their smiling, comforting faces mixing together in his mind. They were out there, alone, terrified, and in danger, just like him.

He couldn't leave them.

(The faces of a thousand more people flashed through his mind, people he'd passed by, spoken to, delivered to or even helped when he had free time.)

He couldn't leave any of them.

A loud yell of determination left the cobalt hedgehog as he burst forwards, green eyes filled with fear now sharper than a blade and darker than a storm. Sonic slammed into the first dark-skinned creature, his quills digging into it torso and tearing into the beast's flesh. The monstrous being stumbled back, shrieking as it tried to hold it's chest together, but the sapphire male quickly jumped up and slammed his left leg down on it's head, shattering the crested skull.

The beasts roared in rage but Sonic did not wait for their reaction, taking off in the direction of Knothole while praying that his friends were alright. The thunderous boom of the massive body collapsing fell on deaf ears for Sonic, whose eyes were fixed on the minuscule dot of a town far ahead. Even from here, he could see black shapes falling from the sky and swarming the village.

Faintly, the young speedster could hear the screaming.

These things were invading the village. They might be attacking his friends. They are gathered there, helpless. They had no Chaos users, no heavy infantry, no real police. They would die to those things.

(He imagined a small fox child screaming as one of the monster crawled over crumbled furniture and reached out to his thin form, clawed hands wrapping around the fragile frame and squeezing-)

Green eyes burned out, the vibrant glow so characteristic of the Ultimate Lifeform snuffed out by a numbing cold that overtook every part of his body. He didn't know what it was, but for Sonic, it felt familiar, a old acquaintance that while he didn't like, he knew instinctively that it was useful. And his assumption was right. His worries vanished, panic and fear shifting into a spear of intent that pierced through the mist and steadied him.

There was no fear now, only purpose.

Eyes far too pale slowly slid open. There was no time to waste. Avoiding the charging dark beasts by running around the horde, Sonic shot off towards Knothole. Silently hoping from the bottom of his heart that he wasn't too late to save them all.

He would never forgive himself if he failed.

xxxxxxxx

Tails was starting to wish this was a dream.

He'd been sitting in his porch as per Knuckles' request that he needed fresh air, fiddling with a circuit board he'd accidentally fried while working on the Tornado at night. It hadn't been the smartest idea to do anything while running on five hours of sleep at the equivalent of Knuckles' weight in coffee, but he had finally managed to fix the plane's computer and that was enough for him, regardless of the collateral damage. Now he was sitting here, happy, touching up the circuit board's last few issues while humming under his breath.

Then the sky started to bleed.

...and drop giant, armed creatures on Knothole.

The circuit board he'd been working on now laid forgotten at his doorstep as Tails jumped to his feet, eyes widening in horror as the first wave of things landed atop of a nearby house with enough force to make the small wooden cabin collapse in a shower of splinters and screams from its inhabitants. The onlookers, stunned by the skies becoming as red as blood, quickly scattered at the sudden destruction, not waiting for the creatures to emerge from the remains of the building and come after them.

A second group of creatures landed on the street, crushing several mobians in the process. Tails flinched as bloodcurdling cries echoed from the road ahead as the massive, hulking monsters grabbed the closest villager and ripping their small, fragile bodies apart. The dark skinned beasts began eating them, right in front of the eyes of relatives and friends, and the horrendous sight was enough to freeze the young fox in place.

 _Why? Why was this happening?!_ The little genius thought in horror, stumbling back against the door of his workshop. Still as he was, the invaders were more interested in the moving targets that were the screaming, crying villagers, who were trying to run away and hide. _Why are they doing this?!_

"Don't stand there, moron!" The door behind him suddenly opened, making him stumble back and yelp as a heavy, familiar hand grabbed him by the shoulder.

Pulled inside with little resistance, Tails was thrown aside as three mobians stumbled in after him, eyes wide and panicked. The young fox fell on his behind, hand on his chest as he and two others villagers tried to regulate their frantic heartbeat. Sapphire eyes peered at the door, watching as the third mobian -a armadillo with a shiny red shell- helped Knuckles barricade the door and shut the windows. No words were exchanged between the two as they moved around, piling the table and couches in front of the door, their combined strength quickly getting the job done.

Still in a state of shock, Tails idly wondered if the creatures could hear the small racket they were making.

 _Maybe not with the screaming._

"What the hell do we do now...?" One of the villagers whimpered, the small ant's antennas twitching furiously on its tiny, smooth head. "Once they run out of people to eat, they're going to-"

"Stop." Both Knuckles and the armadillo barked out at the same time. The two mobians blinked, stared at each other for a moment before Knuckles continued; "They're not going to run out of anything. Tails, is the Tornado in fighting condition?"

"Y-yes. Targeting systems aren't working-" The fox stuttered, now wishing he hadn't dropped the circuit board. "-but we can do that manually. And I still have a few guns at the back." Despite now living in Knothole, Tails never lost the habit of keeping weapons close to his back.

Station Square may have been deep in G.U.N. territory, but the organization had never cared about the safety of their citizens. They were just numbers to them, digits that increased their ranks if well trained or left to rot in overpopulated cities if they had no use for them. Robberies had been seen as common occurrences, and more than once he'd woken up to hear gunshots go off in the distance. His experiences in the human city had left him paranoid and untrusting of humans, but Tails was grateful of having gone through it.

"Good." The armadillo muttered, peering through a window's curtains before quickly backing away, face set in a stern but determined frown. "At least we have a fighting chance."

"Sonic should be back soon as well, so as long as we stall those things we should be okay." Tails remarked, hope lightning up his pale face. Those hulking things may be strong, but there is no way they can match a Ultimate Lifeform. "Besides, we can count of Knuckles too, right? We can do this; we can fight them off!"

"As heartwarming as this is, I don't think it's the way to go with those aliens at our doorstep." Knuckles stated as he headed towards the back of the hallway, towards the workshop. We need to get as many people out of the village as possible."

"They seem to have guns." The red armadillo exclaimed, drawing their attention. "You're the genius tinker, right? Please tell me you have something to shoot them with." The mobian asked with a hurried tone as he turned to Tails, who was busy calming his racing heart.

"Huh, y-yes." Tails tripped over his words as a particularly loud shriek was heard from outside. All the mobian present winced, fully expecting the barricaded door to be knocked down. The attack never came. "I have a plane and a few weapons that we can use."

"As long as they don't have reinforcements, we should be able to make short work of them." The scarlet armadillo continued as he peered out the window again. Knuckles shifted uncomfortably behind Tails, likely wanting to curse the mobian for endangering their hiding spot. "There seems to be around thirty of the large ones, not counting the dozens of tiny flying bats. I don't see any more falling."

"If this is a invasion, they would focus on the big cities." One of the two villagers shaking on the floor remaining, a mobian ant, muttered, finally speaking up.

"Let's go to my workshop. I'll get the Tornado ready to launch; Knuckles, go get the guns and start distributing them." Tails growled, standing tall as he turned towards the workshop door. "I'm going to need some time to get the plane up in the sky."

"Alright." The last echidna complied, gesturing for the other mobians to pay attention to him. "You two, follow me!"

"My name is Mighty." The armadillo muttered as he trudged after Knuckles, the two unknown villager following close behind, still in shock of the events that had just transpired. The ant was clinging to the other sapient, a dog, who had his tail tucked between his legs and his ears laying low. Tails paused, watching them disappear into the hallway with a bit of pity.

They did not deserve this.

(None of them did.)

The yellow vulpine sighed as his namesakes dropped to the ground, the tense mobian allowing himself a moment to breathe. He glanced back at the barricaded door, a new sense of resentful purpose growing within him as he heard the creatures roar while they chased the fleeing villagers.

He needed to help; being scared wasn't going to stop those things, acting would. Specifically, pumping those monsters with a few rounds of lead -and he knew just what he could use. The Tornado was the pinnacle of his career as a engineer. The plane wasn't armed to the teeth, but it had a basic weapon system in place, more than enough to take down the squadron of aliens.

It would not fail him. Just for a moment, this monumental task seemed doable.


	20. Chapter 20

Sonic came to a abrupt stop at the edge of the town, the last bits of that strange numbing cold waffling away as the sounds brought him back to reality.

Knothole had been turned into a slaughterhouse.

His legs refused to carry him any closer to the horrid scene. A dozen of creatures just as menacing and vicious as the one he'd just killed were ransacking Knothole, tearing houses apart and chasing down the terrified citizens. Their shrieks mingled with the crying of the mobians who tried to flee from their attackers.

Even from here he could smell the acrid scent of blood.

Another surge of terror washed over him, stronger than before. It forced Sonic back, heartbeat rising to new levels as he pulled his arms up onto his chest in a attempt to quell the frantic beat in his torso. The young hybrid grit his teeth and clenched his eyes shut, fighting back against the nausea as he heard the screams of the villagers.

His stomach dropped at the thought of Tails and Knuckles being somewhere in the destroyed settlement. It took all of his strength to stay upright.

(Where had his bravado gone? Why did he suddenly feel so scared? Why couldn't he go on any further?)

Anger and desperation rose up in him as Sonic called out for that cold again, forcing himself to plunge into that dark pit that had given him enough strength to fight back against Shadow, and now these invaders. It surged into him, biting and clawing its way back into his mind, a darkness that stung of danger that Sonic acknowledged, but did not push away.

He breathed out deeply as he straightened up, milky eyes narrowing onto the closest alien, taking in the creature's blood splattered hands. Mobian blood.

 _I'll make them pay_. A slow, vicious grin so unlike him spread across Sonic's lips as he locked eyes with the beast, a sadistic satisfaction welling up in him as the invader seemingly hesitated despite being several times taller than he was. _I'll kill every last one of them for what they've done._

Sensing that something was wrong with it's newest target, the massive alien took a step back.

Sonic charged anyways, twisted laughter echoing across crimson skies.

xxxxxxx

A small, quivering figure fell to the ground as a scaled mass of black and red walked over to the sapient, scarlet liquid dripping down its muscled arms as the invader peered down at the terrified mobian. The beast let out a low, deep growl not until a laugh as it reached out with one grubby hand towards the villager, who was too horrified by his attacker to move.

Suddenly, a blue blur dash between the terrified mobian and the looming creature, sharp cobalt quills sliding across a scaly throat. Blood the color of ink spurted from the gaping wounds in waves, their owner groaning as they quickly lost footing and collapsed, mangled claws reaching for their neck in a attempt to stop the bleeding.

The youngest Ultimate Lifeform stopped in front of the mobian, green eyes already picking out their next target. He turned to the sapient he'd just saved, the dog still curled up in the ground, waiting for death that would not come in the speedster's watch.

"Grab a weapon and go wait at the edge of the forest, they are concentrating on the village. You'll be safe there!" Sonic snarled, not waiting for the canine to recover his bearings before shooting across the village at high speeds, searching for another of the large creatures.

Heart thundering in his ears, the young hybrid dove under the flailing arm of a angry alien, grabbed a nearby piece of rebar and shoved it upwards into the creature's mouth, piercing its skull with the metal rod. Again he did not wait to see the fruits of his efforts, blasting through another monster that dared to go after a group of children. His speed and intelligence gave him a advantage over the animalistic brutes, and Sonic was taking advantage of this as much as he could, pushing away the thought that if he got caught, he would be torn to shreds by their claws.

He did not pause nor flinch when passing the bodies of his fellow villagers, focusing instead on his task; like clockwork, he systematically attacked lone beasts, dispatching them with little to no struggle. A alien managed tried to grasp him, only to howl as Sonic's quills tore the flesh and arteries under the beast's meaty arm, nearly sawing the limb off. As the creature was left shrieking on the ground begging for mercy, the sapphire speedster continued his quest of destruction, assured that it would die of blood lost.

There was no place in his heart for compassion at the moment, and certainly not for his opponents.

(The cold helped.)

While he tore through the squadron of aliens, Sonic was met with small winged foes that snapped at his ears and shrieked loudly as they were kicked out of the skies. They were much more numerous than the land beings, but thankfully not even a fifth of their size. The young hybrid had to problem ignoring them, letting the Knothole villagers that were slowly managing to push back against their attackers deal with the fiends -which the mobians did with vengeful fervor, aided by baseball bat, hammer or even frying pan.

Sometime during the chaos of the fight Sonic heard the motor of a familiar plane over his head, but so focused he was at mercilessly slaughtering the invaders, the cobalt hedgehog male didn't notice the vehicle spewing bullets at the flying creatures, quickly cutting them down. The cold was every present now, guiding his every movement; Sonic followed it's command without question. It almost felt as if it was searching for something, and this feeling was honing in on the plaza of the small village.

The Ultimate Lifeform carefully stepped into the large area covered in smouldering ruins, emerald eyes narrowing as a particularly large alien stumbled forwards.

This bulky beast sported the same dark scales and scarlet markings at the rest of its brethren, but while the big aliens were humanoid, this one was more ape-like, using it's two giant hands to move around efficiently. The head was small and covered in thin bone plates, with two orange-red eyes shinning inside sunken sockets.

Hybrid and monster shared a moment of silence, quietly sizing their opponent as the ruins of Knothole burned around them. Then the thing growled, deep and rumbling, before slowly walking forwards, the earth shaking beneath it's every step.

Just like before at the edge of the village, the cobalt speedster's initial feeling of panic and hopelessness was overwhelmed by a stinging cold flooding his veins. Just like the approaching creature Sonic began walking towards it, each step swift and elegant like a predator. His eyes, pale and iris almost invisible amongst the sea of white betrayed no fear as he regarded the towering goliath looming over him.

Both enemies stopped, the blue hedgehog unbelievably tiny next to one of the alien's arms. Yet, he kept his gaze fixed on the unintelligent scarlet of the beast, silently challenging it to attack first.

A roar echoed through Knothole, silencing all other sound of despair as the titan drew itself on its back legs, heaving its mass up before slamming it upon the ground with enough brute force to make the earth shudder.

His intended target however was long gone from the range of the attack, a blur of blue betraying the hybrid's presence moments before Sonic used his quills to rip into the flesh of the monster's left leg, shredding part of it's huge tendons. Black blood splattered against crimson skies.

The goliath stumbled, a reverberating bellow leaving it as it flailed its bulky arms to catch the phantom running beneath its feet. The ground trembled and the skies were filled with its roars of rage, but Sonic was unfazed, cold clouding his senses and filling his head with muted anger. He focused instead on his step, the earth crumbling as the titan began causing earthquakes in a attempt to make him trip -there was no doubt it would be game over if he did.

He ducked under another of the mammoth's blows, almost flinching as the thick, sharp scales of the beast brushed against his left shoulder, leaving lacerations behind. In his numb state however he paid little attention to the wound, darting beneath the alien's stomach to reach the uninjured, elephant-like back leg.

The armored goliath was making it difficult for him to attach its remaining limb, constantly shifting its weight and forcing Sonic back of fear of being crushed under its bulk. The speedster knew he had to end this quickly. The ground was unstable enough beneath them, it was only a matter of time before he would trip and be at the thing's mercy.

Relief came when a hail of bullets splattered against the titan's chest and head, making the beast shift focus and lift one of its plated arms up to defend its vulnerable head from the plane flying overhead, far out of its reach. It shrieked in contempt at the Tornado, jumping up and trying to catch the purple plane with a fruitless effort that only brought more pain to its injured leg. Angered, it ducked its head low and reached with it's left hand for a wrecked car, intent on throwing it at the flying vehicle.

Recognizing the danger but not ready to run away, the Tornado's pilot twisted up in the air before zipping straight down at the titan, who reared back to throw it's projectile.

Unfortunately, the mindless beast had forgotten about its previous opponent, who had taken this opportunity to swerve around its front and slash the ankle of the remaining foot.

The monster stumbled, roaring as its legs fell short, the wrecked car abandoned on the road as it used its bulky arms to stand. Shrieking, it whirled around with surprising speed despite its useless legs and tried to crush Sonic, who gracefully dodged the offending limb, the phantom trace of a vicious smirk gracing his lips as he noticed a red shape jump off the Tornado and strike the beast's head, cracking the armor.

The purple plane veered away as the heavy alien thrashed around, right hand coming up to try and grab the echidna who was repeatedly pounding the armored head with his barbed fists. Its meaty fingers however were unable to grasp the echidna, and it only managed to further injure itself by bashing it's own skull and shoulders during it's frantic attempts. The mobian's fury seemed relentless, and in any other time Sonic would have reeled back at seeing his friend act so savagely, but the numb state he was caught only made stop and look on with interest.

Its bucking and shaking payed off at the end, Knuckles's grip on the beast's hide weakening just for a moment but enough for him to fall, bouncing off the paved road several times before coming to a stop. The low, pained groan he let was the only indication that he was still conscious. The alien collapsed in front of Sonic, dazed by the echidna's vicious attack, blood from the cracks in it's helmet running down it's thick neck.

The blue hedgehog's eyes narrowed at the results, his almost grey pupils shifting from his injured friend and the fallen goliath. His milky eyes settled onto the giant, a twisted grin spreading across his lips as he took in it's dazed, defenceless state. The cold swirled around him as he slowly began walking towards the creature, thoughts of vengeance for the atrocities it had committed clouding his mind.

The cold suddenly bit his mind, making him pause with a barely disguised flinch. It called out at him, demanding that it followed the creature's gaze, for the goliath was not looking at it's approaching death, but rather at something behind them. Spinning around on his heel, Sonic's pale eyes scanned the area -and he promptly stilled, muscles locking and body temperature dropping even further as he saw what drew the beast's attention so fervently.

A small, lonely gem glinted softly on the cracked pavement, dropped by the injured echidna when he'd been thrown across the plaza.

Time suddenly froze for Sonic as the fallen alien weakly reached out for the fallen Chaos Emerald, beady eyes zeroing on the precious stone as it ignored everything else by the artifact. The cold _roared_ in Sonic's ears, louder than ever before -and this time the beast howled, refusing to sit back and watch, it's shriek of wordless, primal rage erupting from fawn lips.

In a blur of motion, Sonic landed on top of the goliath's head and smashed his left leg down between the thing's beady orbs, the monster's eye bulging out of their sockets from the blow. Eyes as pale as bone, the cobalt hedgehog brought his foot down several times onto the titan's head as the beast twitched under him, crackling hysterically as each consecutive attack resulting in further snap of bone and splatters of blood and brain matter across blue fur.

His frenzy did not seem to have a end. He ignored the liquids or the gasp echoing behind him as he continued to assault the twitching corpse, white eyes wide and crazed, left hand clutching the Chaos Emerald as if it was a lifeline. It burned in his hand, as bright as a star and as hot as coal, but he was numb, so lost in his rage that he didn't pay attention to the damage it was causing.

"-it's dead, stop it already!"

Hands grasped his shoulders, making Sonic snarl and spin around in his attacker's grasp. Wild eyes locked with vibrant purple, the layer widening at the near whiteness of the once green eyes. For a moment he paused, something familiar scratching the back his conscious -before that cold slammed back in, flooding his sensed and making him rear back ready to strike-

-then he was shaken. So roughly he could feel his brain repeatedly bang against his skull.

(His head felt as if it was about to pop open.)

"Snap out of it!"

Shrieking, the cold dove back into the corners of Sonic's mind as he was forced back to reality, a strangled gasp leaving him as he suddenly found himself staring at Knuckles, blinking away the last strands of white in his eyes. Recalling what had happened, the hybrid's expression morphed into one of horror and shame.

The echidna was staring at him with a strange mixture of indiscernible emotions. Fear, respect, worry, those were just one of the few the cobalt hedgehog could discern, and it was worrying.

 _What was wrong with him?_

Sonic untangled himself from his friend's embrace, the Chaos Emerald falling to his feet as he swayed, feeling a odd mixture of cold and warmth course through his body. The young immortal raised a hand to wave Knuckles off as the mobian took a step forwards, but paused when he noticed the state of the gloved limb.

Red mixed with black, staining familiar fawn.

"Oh." Sonic eeped softly, feeling the world shift around him. Suddenly light and disoriented, his legs began to sway, and he nearly fell onto the bombarded, ash-filled path had not a wall of red fur suddenly stood in front of him once more, strong hands easily catching his quivering frame and pulling him close as the world lost meaning to him, narrowing down to his blood stained hand.

 _What has he done?_

"Easy, easy. I've got you, brat." Knuckles' voice was unusually soft and soothing. Sonic leaned into the comforting warmth, shivering madly from the coldness that had no cause. Why had he used it again? Was it really worth the prize? "You'll be fine, just breathe."

 _I saved them._ Sonic thought dazedly as he nuzzled scarlet fur, trying to find some relief from the cold clawing at his mind. _Isn't that enough?_

(Maybe.)

He was doubtful. Sonic cast his gaze to the ground, silent.

 _What is wrong with me?_

Too focused in his misery, he took no notice of a little yellow stone at their feet, it's mystical glow faded and grey.

xxxxxx

"Fortified cities would be our best bet."

"It would be suicide." Tails corrected immediately to the hesitating dog, not wanting the survivors to get any ideas as they huddled around a campfire. "This is a wide scale invasion. They'll go for those cities first. We have a much higher chance of surviving if we shy away from big towns and stay in the wild."

At the fox's clever speech, there were murmurs of agreement from the Knothole survivors.

Sonic watched the mortals debate curiously around their hastily made campfire and what little supplies they managed to salvage, feeling strangely apart from them -alien- as he sat at the doorstep of Tail's ruined home. A blanket was fastened around him, keeping him warm in the cold darkness of the night. Despite the warmth it provided however, the hybrid felt strangely muted, disjointed from reality.

Forcing down a shiver, the Ultimate Lifeform pulled the blanket closer, flinching as the cold hissed in his ears, furious and restless. This hadn't been like last time with Shadow, where it had let itself known for one sharp burst of energy -it had remained awake long into the night after the invasion, and still was, growling in Sonic's ears and instinctively making him sit well away from the mortals for fear it would try to push its way out again.

He also wasn't blind to the furtive glances Knuckles offered him when he thought he wasn't looking.

"Where should we go then?" Amy exclaimed, her eyes reflecting the insecurity everyone except Sonic felt. "We can't go too far, not with the children and injured." At this, Sonic flinched, eyes darting to one of the nearby houses that were still livable, noting the shadows of it's inhabitants darting about under the light of candles as they worked overtime to keep those injured alive and on the road to recovery.

Several villagers nodded their heads, agreement and worry echoing across the campfire. Places were suggested, many that Sonic did not know, and the blue hedgehog forced himself to listen to the conversation more, banishing the thoughts of cold from his haunted mind.

"There is one place we can hide in relative safety." Knuckles suddenly spoke, his deep voice carrying over the crowd, silencing it immediately. "Mystic Ruins."

Silence spread over the crowd, the mobians exchanging sideway glances as they waited for someone to speak up. Curled up at the steps of the workshop, Sonic watched the scene with narrowed eyes, taking in their expressions of hope, fear and hesitation with mild curiosity.

What was so bad about Knuckles' old home?

Tails hummed softly, drawing the attention of the insecure crowd. "It would work. There aren't any settlements in the area, so it's completely abandoned." His eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "Besides, you did spend most of your life there, you'll know where to hide."

The child's wise words were what broke the dam; all too suddenly everyone was shouting, the sudden change enough for Sonic to jump slightly as their protests mingled together.

"But it's haunted!" A elderly goat cried out from the back of the crowd, clutching her three children close to her long, frayed skirt. "One night was all it took for the echidnas to die out! What if we encounter the dreaded monstrosity that caused it all?!" Sonic reeled back at the sudden cry, barely noticing Knuckles' tightening of his balled up hands, the scarlet mobian struggling to keep his emotions in check.

"What if it comes back for the last echidna?!" Another villager exclaimed, horror lighting the faces of those nearby at the thought. Chaos broke out, screams, shouts and insult thrown at each other as the huddled crowd of terrified mortals quickly dissolved into a shrieking, hysteric mess.

Sonic stared at the commotion with wide eyes, unable to believe the abrupt turn in their behavior. The cold vibrated in his mind, seemingly both annoyed and excited by the terrified cries. A headache bloomed in his skull, the agony mixed with the disbelief at the panicking mortals making something inside the sapphire speedster snap.

" _Enough_!" The Ultimate Lifeform snarled, his voice carrying over the crowd, shutting them up. The young male stood up, uncaring of how unimpressive he must look with the pink wool blanket, his fur sticking out in every direction and his wide, bloodshot eyes. He was far pass the point of caring for his appearance.

They needed to get out of here before the creatures showed up again -and he'd do just that, even if he had to drag them there kicking and screaming.

"Are you all so stupid that you'd let yourself -your family, your children- get killed and eaten by those monsters just because of a silly myth?! Our lives are on the line, we can't afford making mistakes!" He roared, the cold hissing with glee as the mortals flinched at the authority in his voice. Silence took hold once more -only for it to be broken by mumbled apologies from the terrified mobians, whose bout of hysterics had been culled by Sonic's growl.

He didn't miss the gratitude in Knuckles' dark eyes.

"Who are you, anyways?" The original accuser suddenly demanded, her raspy voice piercing the silence. The goat's eyes narrowing suspiciously as she eyes the blue hedgehog. "I haven't seen you around before."

A dog suddenly stood up, eyes wide. "Hey, you're the one that killed the big creatures!"

"Wait, I saw him push back the creatures in the square!"

"He was so fast -the only thing I could see was a blue blur!"

"Me too! I thought I was hallucinating if it wasn't for the things dropping like flies!"

It was as if a light bulb was switched. Suddenly, a dozen or so villagers stood up as well, calling out what they've seen the cobalt hedgehog do. Sonic shrunk back with every mobian reciting his deeds, mortified at the thought having been seen doing such things. From what Tails told him, strange abilities weren't that uncommon to be heard of on Mobius, where the dense Chaos Field could sometimes result in interesting mutations. Knuckles himself was a example of that.

But no matter how he would try to spin this to the Knothole survivors, it was clear that they had realized there was something unnatural about him. The kind of monstrous speed, resilience and force he'd displayed...

Excited murmurs traveled the small crowd at the declarations. All of the mobians turned their attention to the sapphire hybrid, awaiting for a answer almost excitingly. Sonic hesitated when he realized what he was facing, his eyes darting towards Knuckles and Tails, who looked as if they were at a lost for words.

What mess had he gotten himself into?

(Might as well go with the short answer. If they took out the pitchforks, he could still leg it.)

"My name is Sonic...I deliver packages for Tails." He blurted, hoping that it was enough. He could see the burning desire for questions in their eyes. "I just did what anyone else would have done."

He'd been awake for less than a month, and even he could see through his own bullshit. Sonic was right -moments later the campfire exploded with questions, the mobians burning with the desire to know their savior better.

So he did what anyone else would have done.

He scrambled away as fast as his legs could carry him.

* * *

 **And thus, a legend is born. Somewhat.**


	21. Chapter 21

**_"This is my eye. With it I will see everything; there is nothing you can do, Shadow, that will escape my sight. I will monitor your progress through the Eye. Do not disappoint me."_**

The snow crunched beneath his feet as he made his way across the frozen landscape, unperturbed by the howling winds. A biting cold seeped into his body, the thick black fur unable to keep it at bay, and despite this Shadow trudged on forwards, uncaring of the forces of nature trying to pull him away from his destination.

Not too far ahead, a massive fortress of stone and metal stood out from among the white terrain, its ugly grey coloration and the yellow lights of the guard towers a stark contrast from the pine trees covered in a delicate layer of ice and snow, frozen in place by winter.

 ** _"Head to the cold land called Holoska. My forces have tracked a Chaos Emerald hidden deep within a human base there, but they are unable to proceed in such a inhospitable environment."_**

Alarms begun blaring as the armed humans on the towers spotted the dot of black heading their way, a star like shape hovering over the approaching creature's shoulder, ever watchful. Coming up to the base's outer wall, Shadow held up the scarlet Chaos Emerald, eyes narrowing as the gem began glowing in his grasp.

 ** _"You know what to do."_**

Red and orange stained the white landscape as part of the wall and barracks exploded in flames, killing most of the compound's forces in one blow. As the humans struggled to recover from the blow, a black figure sped across the heavy smoke, taking out soldiers and personnel along the way as it headed for the main building.

It seemed as if the very skies were against the defenders, spears of light defending upon their flesh and turning them to ashes. The eye creature followed the attacker closely, seemingly unperturbed by the destruction its companion had caused.

Shadow made his way through the compound, slaughtering everyone that crossed his path. Not even those who cowered or tried to run away were spared; despite his confidence in his own strength, he could not afford to alert G.U.N. so soon. Armed men and scientists alike fell at his feet as the living weapon swept through blood-stained halls, heading for the research wing.

Breaking down the door leading to it with his unnatural strength, the Ultimate Lifeform stepped into the research facility and was greeted with a dozen of other soldiers watching his every moves, guns pointed at his head. A black brow rose as the untold challenge, their owner more amused than worried by their opponents' desperate attempt at stalling him.

If they wanted to lose their lives in such a fruitless way, so be it.

 _"Chaos Blast."_

Just like that, they were swept away like the ants they were, mangled, broken bodies hitting the ground in disarray. Any bullets they managed to fire had melted upon contact with the solid wall of scarlet energy. The fight had barely lasted a few seconds, long enough for Shadow to mutter the two infamous words.

Pulling a revolver out of his quills, Shadow quickly picked out the men and women huddling under the desks and executed them as cleanly and quickly as he could, not wanting to make them suffer any more than it was necessary, but at the same time feeling a burning desire to destroy them for wearing those uniforms.

In a matter of minutes, the ground was painted red with blood, and the chamber was as silent as a graveyard. Shadow regarded the carnage unsparingly, more interested in the glowing gemstone encased in glass in the middle of the laboratory, waiting to be released from the confines of its prison.

With a bit of surprise, Shadow noted that it was the blue Chaos Emerald that he'd was stealing. He walked up to the pedestal holding it, ruby eyes narrowing at the familiar shade of blue the stone held. His grip on his gun tightened inexplicably, and it took a great amount of self-control to stop himself from grimacing at the memory of a young blue hedgehog.

He wondered where his counterpart was. He hadn't gone back for Sonic due to the creature following; more than once he contemplated shooting the beast, and the obsidian warrior was starting to think that would be the only way he could escape from under Black Doom's thumb.

(A weight pressed down on his mind, unnoticed by the Ultimate Lifeform.)

Then again, he needed the information...and Shadow wasn't one to pass up the opportunity to kill humans, especially those employed by G.U.N. A surge of cruel satisfaction traveled through him as he looked back at the broken bodies one last time. There was no use in feeling pity. They knew what they were getting into.

The charcoal warrior turned towards the pedestal once more, eyes narrowing at the glass encasing the mythical jewel, keeping it from him. Easy enough.

"Chaos Spear!" A localized beam of energy materialized at his side, striking the top of the reinforced glass globe. The attack was so quick and burned so fiercely, it sliced the upper section of the orb open, precisely wide enough for Shadow to put his hand in and retrieve the Chaos Emerald.

 **At last.** The Eye hissed at his side, startling the Ultimate Lifeform as it had been silent during the carnage. Its tendrils reached out for the mythical jewel, which Shadow wisely pulled out of its reach, a part of him disgusted at the thought of the familiar cobalt being stained by the creature's touch. **Give it to me!** It demanded with a shriek of hunger and greed, annoyed at his refusal.

Scarlet orbs narrowing at the sudden pressure in his head, Shadow kept his comments to himself and placed the gem in his quills. In the bed of sharp razors, there could be no way that the thing could steal it from him without losing one of it's tentacles.

"I'm keeping it for now, if you don't mind." He said firmly, his voice not leaving place for debate.

Pausing, the Eye looked at him in a calculative manner.

 **Fine.** The Eye suddenly laughed, low and menacing as it flew around the obsidian warrior. **So be it, I'll humor you.**

The charcoal warrior snorted at the creature's mercy, restraining himself from destroyed the wicked beast and focusing instead on the familiar hum of the Chaos Emeralds nestled in his quills. _Two down, five to go._ He glanced at the beast again, contemplating on how he should proceed. He knew where a third Chaos Emerald resided, but he refused going after it with Sonic so close to the mythical jewel's location.

He just couldn't afford Black Doom knowing about the younger hybrid.

There was just no telling what the beast would do, and Shadow would sooner be stripped of his immortality than see Sonic suffer due to his own foolishness.

xxxxxxxxxx

"Enough!"

 _Oh god, thank you._ Sonic whimpered mentally, groaning pathetically as he slowly picked himself back up. Gagging, he spat out the mouthful of mud he'd nearly swallowed.

(He was starting to see a pattern here, and it wasn't one he liked.)

Looming over him was Knuckles, the echidna's pristine fur contrasting with the fallen speedster's sweat and grime covered pelt. Unlike the hybrid who was wheezing for air, trying to recover from the punch to the stomach he'd just received, the red mobian had his arms crossed and looked unperturbed by his opponent's venomous glare.

"Your stance is not stable enough, I only need to hit you once to get you to eat dirt."

"Fuck you." Sonic hissed as he tried to ignore the acrid taste of dirt in his mouth. One of the villagers let out a indignant growl as she covered the ears of a young turtle, the later wearing a bored and faintly annoyed expression as he was manhandled. "I'm trying!"

"Then try harder!"

A malevolent roar went off in the distance, the thunderous howl not unlike the sound of a gong going off echoing across the tall trees of the ancient forest.

It made the two mobians freeze in their tracks, their determination to win the spar replaced by apprehension. The Knothole survivors around them let out sharp gasps -after being ambushed by two squadrons of the hellish creatures, they had learned to not scream- and instinctively huddled together. Some were even scrambling for their personal items, determined to put as much distance between themselves and the source of the shriek.

Sonic narrowed his eyes as he strained his ears forward, trying to decider from where the sound had come from. The immortal glanced at his friend, noticed the stoic expression on the elder's face, and couldn't help but internally grimace.

That look the echidna sported did not bode well. Knuckles probably couldn't pinpoint the alien's location either.

"What are the chances of them having heard us?"

"Not likely, given the size of the forest." Knuckles responded slowly, eyes narrowing pensively. "We still need to move." He turned towards the crowd of mobians and waved his arms. "Now!"

The survivors quickly scrambled away at the echidna's harsh command, understanding that time was of the essence. Having become used to this strange way of travel, the mobians placed their rations into the carts, quickly folding freshly cleaned clothes and gathering the children as efficiently as they could. Feral horses were used to push the carts forwards, the gentle giants obediently following the orders of the terrified mobians, though they would shake their head and glance around multiple times, seemingly picking up on their owners' mood.

Numerous were the eyes that flicked up to the murky skies, as if expecting the invaders to suddenly drop another army on top of them.

Sonic quickly packed his sleeping bag, strapping the makeshift bed to one of the carts as the feral horses began moving, pulling the constructs onward to Mystic Ruins. His task done, the young Ultimate Lifeform circled around the encampment, looking for any stragglers. Satisfyingly enough, nobody was getting left behind, and the speedster quickly ran back to the front of the migrating villagers, keeping a eye out for any signs of darkening skies that signaled the presence of alien ships.

It had been five days since this invasion behind, and while the caravan of Knothole survivors was slow due to the fact they had to be stealthy, they had managed to pass the halfway point to Mystic Ruins. According to Knuckles, it would take them around four more days to complete the journey.

Sonic couldn't wait until then. The last five days had been exhausting; between the worry of being attacked, fighting squadrons of said attackers and playing scout for the caravan, the cobalt hedgehog hadn't been getting the sleep and food he needed. He had been getting thinner, the effects of a shortage of food quickly making themselves know due to his high metabolism. So far nobody had noticed and it wasn't affecting his capability to fight yet, so Sonic wasn't worried about it. He could last a few more days on rations.

Not wanting to be reminded of his current situation, he allowed his mind to drift to a familiar subject. _I wonder what Shadow is doing right now..._ He thought solemnly, a pang of worry blooming in his heart at the thought of the obsidian male being out there on his own. Shadow could take care of himself, but that didn't mean Sonic wasn't apprehensive.

Knowing the older immortal, he was probably fighting in the frontlines against the invaders. From what he'd gathered, the charcoal hedgehog was a warrior through and through. It made no sense for him to do anything but that.

"Stop!"

Mighty's sharp voice startled the cobalt hedgehog out of his reverie, green eyes flicking back towards the older armadillo, who was guarding the middle of the caravan. The mobian was pointing to their left, where the trees were giving way to a wide open clearing that seemed to stretch on for miles.

A large, dark green jeep was blasting through the open plains.

"Are they fucking insane?" Sonic faintly heard Amy exclaim worriedly, the pink bakery owner sitting in the front cart, looking horrified. She was right too. With how much noise the car was making, it was only a matter of time before a larger number of invaders would take notice.

"They're gonna get killed!" Someone whispered

"Screw that, they're going to get us killed!" Mighty snarled, earning nods from his fellow villagers.

"Keep moving!" Knuckles shouted from the back of the caravan, startling the drivers. The carts began moving again, but Sonic ignored them in favor of paying close attention to what was going on outside of the forest.

With his sharper eyesight, the speedster spotted the reason as to why the vehicle was out of cover: a large, long-legged alien with familiar red stripes and black scales was running after the fleeting car, ox-like head mere breaths away from the jeep's rear.

If he didn't step in, there was no doubt in his mind that the people in the car were going to die. While the beast was small, barely bigger than the vehicle, Sonic was not fooled. He'd seen what those things could do, and he'd faced more of them than he could count. One thing he had learned pretty quickly was that the invaders were always stronger than they should be for their size.

Ignoring the startled shouts behind him -and Knuckles' exasperated yelling- the little immortal dashed into the open plains at blinding speeds, reaching the car and its chaser within moments. The quadruple alien barely had the time to turn it's red eyes filled with needless hatred towards him before Sonic ducked under it, his quills neatly decapitating the monstrous being. Without a brain to direct it, the equine alien's legs tangled onto each other and it fell with a almighty crash, dragging up clouds of grass and dirt in its wake.

Sonic coughed through the dust, scrambling aside with a panicked yelp as the twitching corpse nearly crushed him when it finally came to a stop. The danger having passed, the green jeep slowed down before eventually stopping. The cobalt hedgehog ignored the sound of the motor being cut off as he halfheartedly tried to shake the sticky black gunk off his quills, knowing that it would be to little success.

He grimaced at the added weight on his head, silently hoping that Knuckles knew the location of a nearby pond to wash off -if the echidna didn't ignore him for the next half hour for this stunt. _Speaking of danger..._ Just in case, Sonic glanced up at the skies wearily. The lack of red relieved him. He was in no mood to face against another horde of aliens anytime soon-

"My, that was unexpected." The female voice made him jerk his head towards the jeep; the sapphire male yelped as he realized there was a mobian less than two feet away from him, and he hadn't noticed. "Thanks for the save, honey. I might just kiss you for that."

He frowned, suddenly apprehensive. _Is that a regular mobian custom? Err, I don't know. Shit, this is why I need Tails the Ambulant Dictionary with me at all times..._

"Huh, no problem Miss? I-I don't really need you to, huh, kiss me..." _Fuuuck, did I just insult her?_ "..not that I wouldn't like it, but I'm, huh... _fuck_..." Whispering that last word under his breath, Sonic raised his hands up to his chest, feeling defensive with the female so close to him. _What if she took his refusal as a insult?_ She probably did. That was catastrophic.

Worryingly enough, he noticed that the bat was now staring at him blankly, her smile slowly slipping from her lips. Sonic blinked and looked over his shoulder, wondering what could have caused her sudden change of expression.

(If Amy taught him anything, women were the ultimate weapons of mass destruction. The amount of damage the bakery owner could do with her hammer was enough to make his _skin_ crawl.)

"What? Do I have something on my face? Shit, is it about what I said? Look lady, I'm sorry-"

The woman laughed at his pitiful attempts at exuding himself, her voice carrying across the plains as a amused smirk tugged at her lips.

"You sure do know how to pick them, Shadow."

* * *

 **I'm beating up Sonic each chapter, I swear...**


	22. Chapter 22

**Tired as all hell, swamped with work :/ Dumping a update for all of my stories rn, enjoy.**

* * *

Sonic eyed the bat named Rouge oddly for the longest of times. It's been hours since he'd rescued her from one of the aliens yet he was still wary, not knowing what to make of the newcomer. He knew he probably came off as rude for keeping her in his line of sight like this, but Sonic didn't care. He was mystified by her. She _knew_ Shadow.

The hybrid's ears flicked, betraying his troubled state as he sat perched on his bedroll, watching the mobians come and go in a reserved manner. Rouge was sitting on a log in front of one of the more isolated campfires, unusually comfortable and at ease in the middle of strangers. Tails and Amy were sitting around her, the first hints of sleepiness warred off by their curiosity. Despite his own exhaustion Sonic was wide awake, emerald eyes alert and suspicious of the pale woman.

After picking up the woman, they had continued on towards Mystic Ruins at a breakneck pace. There hadn't been any time to sit down and ask questions -until now that nighttime had fallen.

And yet despite having the time to ask the questions that had been burning at the tip of his tongue for the entire, Sonic was lost. He honestly had no idea how to proceed. He'd had taken to observing the stranger during the entire journey; it was almost eerie how easily she fit in. A few timed words made the Knothole survivors welcome her without much fuss, despite how close they had come to getting attacked again because of her actions. It was troubling how accepting they were. In a way, she reminded him of a slippery snake in the way she blended into the group so seamlessly.

Now however, everyone had been tucked in, a warm bowl of soup in their hands as Tails, Amy and Rouge exchanged pleasantries around the small fires. His ration was already eaten, utensils cleaned and packed, tucked away for the night despite the gnawing hunger clawing at his stomach. Sonic was ignoring it with practiced ease, focusing instead on what was going on around him.

The campfire crackled softly in the middle, the soft comforting warmth bringing Sonic to a sleepy lull. It was not something he wanted when he was about to approach a serious topic, but it was welcomed after such a long day.

Settling down, he allowed his eyes to wander. A few people circulated through the campfires, keeping watch with tired eyes as the survivors settled to sleep. Knuckles had gone to make a final round of the camp before returning, so his bedroll sat in a corner of the group, forgotten. Sonic tore his eyes away from Rouge to look at his friend's empty bed, wishing he would come back soon. The echidna had always known what to do.

"So..." A certain pink female's voice made him divert his attention away from the bat. "-how do you know Sonic?" Amy asked, glancing at the said hedgehog. Sonic perked up at the sound of his name, eyes shifting between the two mobians questioningly.

 _That was...direct._ He couldn't help but think. Amy certainly didn't beat around the bush. She must have sensed his desire for a answer. Sonic was half impressed, half taking notes; in this new world, the young hybrid needed to learn how to communicate with others better if he wished to live comfortably.

"I'm one of Shadow's informants." Rouge answered with a flourish, crossing her legs as she leaned back on her bedroll. "When him and Blue had a fallout, he put me on the job to find you. I heard rumors of a blue blur running around these parts, so I went to investigate." She explained softly, her expression becoming somber as she looked up at the dark skies. "Then hell came knocking on our doors." The last part was added in a quiet tone.

Sonic blinked, surprised. "Shadow talked to me five days ago."

Rouge paused at his words, the dark expression on her face twisted into a light grimace. Her wings shuddered, betraying her annoyance. "Well then, I'm never serving him those sweet rolls he likes so much ever again." The bat stated in mock hurt, earning a few chuckles at her dramatic cross of arms. "I probably don't have a bar anymore though, so that's redundant..."

Sonic couldn't help but smile softly at the lighthearted threat. He didn't know what a sweet roll was, but it sounded like food. The idea of Shadow being denied a favored treat was amusing to imagine. His grin slid away however when he realized what Rouge meant. _Five days._ That was nearly a week; from what he understood about mobians, it was way too long to go without communicating.

Why hadn't Shadow been in contact with her since they last met?

Had something more important happened and diverted his attention away?

...come to think of it, why wasn't Shadow trying to find him again after the invaders attacked?

 _Maybe you not as much of a priority for him as you originally thought._ The cold whispered into his ears, words wicked and sharp as ice, making him unconsciously shiver and hunch over himself protectively.

Green eyes flicked over the pale bat, who was engaged in a conversation over the state of the nearby towns with Tails and Amy. He cleared his throat loudly, bringing the female's attention back to himself. "...I'm sorry to ask, but do you know where Shadow is at the moment?" Sonic hesitantly asked, furiously trying to calm his fast heartbeat.

"No, unfortunately." Rouge responded with a hum, shaking her head sadly. "He dropped out of our communication network four days ago. I'm his best information gatherer, and probably the only one with the balls to call him friend, but I have yet to hear from him."

Sonic cringed internally at this. Shadow's absence was starting to feel worrying. _See? It's not use, he's already moved on. You're not that important in the great scheme of things, hedgehog._ The vicious snowstorm tugged at his conflicted heart, stubbornly digging its claws in his soul. The sapphire hedgehog felt hopelessly conflicted.

"-but that's normal." Rouge's voice brought him back to reality, cold slipping away as his attention was diverted away from the wretched thing. "Sometimes he leaves me hanging for months on end. He's quite the solitary fellow, and when he's focused on a case, he tends to forget about everything else." The woman informed a avid Tails, knowing aquamarine eyes looking over at the somber azure speedster.

The hybrid leaned back, taking a deep breath as his eyes aimed for the stars. Relief bloomed in Sonic's heart at the white mobian's words. _Maybe I really am overreacting. Shadow is a Ultimate Lifeform. He's not a weakling._

But had it ever happened during a world-wide invasion?

The faint crunch of dry wood cut their conversation short; Knuckles emerged from the shadows, cutting out a impressive figure carrying a massive stack of twigs nearly as tall as Tails. There were bags under his eyes, yet his eyes showed satisfaction at his hard work.

"Mighty has the first round, so we might be able to get a good night's sleep for once." The echidna said as he walked into the cleaning. "I brought some firewood." The male continued, lifting the large pile of dry branches further up for them to see before dropping it near the campfire. The crash startled Sonic slightly, the cobalt speedster wincing he hadn't expected such a loud noise.

The Ultimate Lifeform stretched on his bedroll, ignoring how his stomach growled as he opened the tough cloth and got ready to sleep. Thankfully, the calming warmth of the campfire distracted him enough from his problem that it was dimmed down to a stomach ache.

He just hoped it was enough for him to be able to sleep properly.

 _I could try finding some fruit bearing trees tomorrow..._

"You're a echidna." Rouge suddenly muttered after a long stretch of silence, her voice carrying over the fire and startling the blue speedster. Sonic glanced at her in confusion, bedroll and hunger momentarily forgotten, wondering why she was so surprised by it.

 _What's the big deal about that?_

Knuckles let out a long suffering sigh, one that told Sonic this wasn't the first time such question was asked. "So?"

"I thought you guys were extinct." Rouge stated with narrowed eyes, getting up and walking over to the ruby male's side, observing him as if he was some kind of rare item that needed to be examined. The echidna watched her circle him with narrowed, suspicious purple eyes. "Halfbreed?" She wondered idly, reaching out and running her hand through his dreadlocks.

It was a testament to Knuckles' patience that he didn't shove the winged female away. It hadn't taken long for Sonic to understand that his dreadlocks were sensible, and unless he wanted to be beat within a inch of his life, he was highly encouraged to not touch them during a spar.

This only made the current interaction even more confusing. Had it been him he would be flying over the forest with a broken nose before he could even think of apologizing. Knuckles' lack of reaction was completely out of character from what he'd come to understand.

Still, he had to admit that his self control was admirable. Sonic could only hope Amy was taking notes.

"Pure blood. I'm the last." Knuckles replied briskly, apparently used to such a remark. Behind him Amy grimaced, her left hand twitching with the need to pull out her hammer from Chaos knows what magical place she stored it in and teach the rude woman a lesson. It was well known among his friends that Knuckles' species was a delicate subject for him.

To make matters worse, Rouge suddenly leaned forwards, boldly entering the scarlet male's private space as their noses nearly touched. "That's nice. I'm always interested in one of a kind." She purred as she reached up and trailing a finger across the male's lips, earning a strangled, dying whale noise from the surprised echidna.

Sonic blinked at the scene, feeling his cheeks unwillingly flush at the bay's sultry growl. Even if he didn't know much about mobian relations, he was sure that was way too forward.

Knuckles stared, slack jawed at the female. "You-!" As the indignant mobian struggled to find words, Sonic looked away, head cocked to the side as his hunger was momentarily forgotten in the wake of this new development.

Unfortunately, Knuckles did not have a way with words in this state, and was stuck gaping like a fish at the amused Rouge, who retaliated by reaching up and whispering something into his ear. Whatever she said was enough to make Knuckles' face turn as red as his fur, and for him to explode in a flurry of shouts and half baked curses.

As the situation quickly dissolved into chaos, Sonic silently showed himself out.

...unaware of someone following afterwards.

He wandered aimlessly among the campfire, wincing each time his belly growled. While his original plan was to go to sleep, and pray tomorrow they would pass by a patch of apple trees, his stomach was putting up enough of a fuss that he was starting to think about going out in the dark to get some food. Problem is, he would need to sneak out without Mighty noticing him. He could see the mobian sitting on a tall rock near the slumbering horses, overseeing the entirety of the camp from his spot.

This wasn't going to be easy...

The sound of footsteps drew his attention away from his thoughts. Something made his nose twitch, and his stomach rose at it, demanding for him to find its source.

What was that smell? Sonic thought as he turned around, curious and slightly desperate to find out what was making him feel so desperate.

He wasn't expecting to end up face to face with a familiar pink hedgehog.

"Amy?!"

"Here." The girl said as she shoving a piece of dry meat in his hands, startling the young hybrid. The delicious smell crawled up to Sonic's nostrils, setting off another series of stomach grumbles. He looked at his friend in confusion, barely keeping himself from ripping into the slab of food.

He still had his dignity, and he was more than sure she had stolen it from the food cart. Where else would she keep food? Sonic had eaten his share for today; he was not going to exceed the a mouth with this many mouths to feed. "I already ate!"

"I'm a cook, don't think I haven't noticed how thin you are getting." The pink female warned him threateningly, eyes narrowing dangerously at the now abashed hybrid. "It's not a issue that you need to eat more than everyone else, we still have more than enough to feed everyone until we reach Mystic Ruins."

A tired sigh left him as he tried handing her the food back. "Amy, look, this isn't -oomph!" He stumbled as the female shoved her hand into his left side, jabbing his ribs and driving a squawk out of him. "What was that for?!"

The girl was looking at him with a horrified expression. "Sonic, I could feel your ribs."

He felt his stomach drop.

"That's normal." The hybrid mumbled defensively, refusing to meet her eyes.

 _"Not if I can count them!"_

By now their argument was beginning to wake people. Several hollered at them to shush from the safety of their bedrolls, and Amy sighed, muttering a halfhearted apology to them as she grabbed Sonic by the wrist and proceeded to bodily drag him away from the populated area. The young immortal was so stunned that he didn't try to free his limb from her iron grip.

"H-hey! What gives!" Panic surged through his body. Was she going to tell on him? Oh Chaos, Knuckles would rip him a new one, he just knew it. Tails would just play the disappointed eyes part, which was even worse.

"That stick of meat isn't going to fix it. You need a complete meal!" She growled, shaking her head furiously. "Shit, Tails told me you could eat for two, but your metabolism is ridiculous." Her eyes narrowed. "You were perfectly healthy a few days ago, now you look starved."

"Amy that's not needed-"

The pink girl jerked him close, staring into his eyes with a utmost seriousness that made the cobalt male stop.

" _Look at me._ " Reluctantly, the young speedster did so. "You will go in that cart, and you will grab everything you need." It was at that moment he realized they were standing in front of the wagon that held their food provision. Indignation flared in his heart at her words. He was fine! He could work with what he had, he didn't need to burden the group!

"But-"

Amy's snarl was of pure anger edged with frustration. "I won't have you starving in my watch, kid! If you don't eat the needed amount, you will get sick, Ultimate Lifeform or not! And where does that leave us?" She snarled, each word stabbing deeper into his heart. Sonic was too petrified by her fury to answer. _Oh god, what happened in the workshop back at Knothole was nothing compared to this._

(Then again, he might deserve it.)

Amy however did not need him to respond to continue on her rant. "Exactly. Vulnerable. Sonic, you might not have realized it, but people here consider you their _hero_. You're their last line of defence. If you fall, we are  dead. Understood?"

The young speedster faltered at her words, ears wilting as he looked down at his feet, wishing it would open up and swallow him whole. She was right. Of course she was. Besides himself and Knuckles, nobody here knew how to fight, and the few guns they had were a precious commodity. Bullets even more so. There was little that the Knothole survivors would do to defend themselves if they were on their own, not against literal monsters.

It was likely they wouldn't even have made it out of the village if he hadn't been there. Sonic was responsible for them now-

 _By Chaos, Amy has a point,_ the hybrid realized, the weight of her words finally sinking in. This couldn't work forever. If he kept on like this, he would grow weak from starvation. He would eventually make a mistake that left him dead, or worse, so injured he would become a burden to the group...

Then they would never reach the safety of the Mystic Ruins.

He breathed in deeply before nodding shakily, finally responding after a long stretch of silence. "Y-yeah." Turning to the cart, he quickly fished out a few goods he thought would alleviate the girl's rage, all while wincing at the idea that he was eating more than his share. It felt like theft, and left a bad taste in his mouth.

It didn't take long for him to find what he needed. Climbing out, he showed the armful of food at the young woman. Amy peered at it attentively, scrutinizing ever article carefully before glancing up and him with sharp green eyes.

"Good." She finally said as she leaned back, satisfied as the blue hedgehog let out the breath he'd been unconsciously holding. "I'll go start a small fire for your food." Amy told him, giving him a pat on the shoulder before walking away.

He couldn't help by watch her leave with a owlish stare, his brain struggling to understand what just happened. When he did however, the hybrid couldn't stop his lips from twisting into a goofy smile as warm grew in his chest, fighting off the cold that had been haunting him.

Sonic had to admit, having friends was nice.

Though, he wasn't sure if half scaring him to death was supposed to be part of the package. Was that how friendship usually worked?

xxxxxxxxxxx

From the security of his fortress in Robotropolis, Ivo Robotnick watched with a keen eye the multiple video feeds from around the world of the invaders. He pursed his lips in thoughts, playing with the tip of his moustache as the dictator silently debating in how he should approach the situation. To say things were delicate was a understatement.

The whole thing was a pity. Eggman had been looking forwards for the Festival.

These creatures had been nothing but a nuisance; while they had some type of plasma weapon technology, his robots were far superior in numbers and were far more versatile. The more vulnerable cities in his Empire had been evacuated to the metropolis, where the main forces were stationed and could protect them better. Robotnick may be a dictator, but he wasn't a monster.

(And the last thing he wanted was to attract Shadow's ire. Chaos detector or not, his grandfather's creation was a force to reckon, and no security measures would save him if he wanted his head.)

Speaking of Shadow...

Robotnick wasn't stupid. He couldn't miss the familiarity of the creatures' markings. But he wasn't paranoid enough to think Shadow would work for them. Given how much information he had on the Ultimate Lifeform, it was likely that the hybrid wasn't siding with them and bidding his time to strike. The hedgehog respected too much Gerald Robotnick's teachings to allow such carnage.

On the bright side, he now knew what Shadow was a hybrid of.

The problem remained that he needed to find a way to sway the immortal to his side. Which meant that he would require some leverage over Shadow, and that was easier said than done given the being's lack of materialistic greed. Money, titles or new technologies would be useless. Such a bother.

Ivo needed something Shadow could not refuse.

Blue eyes glanced to the left, at the scan of the second Ultimate Lifeform he'd kept. While it would be less costly for him, he didn't have the second immortal in his possession, no matter how hard he'd searched. The young creature had vanished in the air After his confrontation with Shadow -and just getting the immortal to reveal what happened had been enough of a pain. No, the answer to his problems didn't lie with Sonic.

 _Good thing I have a backup plan._

Spinning his chair around, he snagged a large metal Rubix cube from the side of his desk and laid it in front of him. His worn fingers glided through the smooth surface with care, pressing the toy's panels in a complex sequence.

After half a minute of handling, the machine beeped loudly, all of its sides flashing green. Satisfied, its creator set it back down on the desk, patiently waiting for it to open. With a loud hiss, the container's delicate metal walls slowly unfurled like the petals of a flower, the Chaos-muffling field it generated dissipating momentarily to allow its owner to gaze at its precious content.

A single purple gem glittered within the confines of its cage, its perfectly cut sides reflecting Robotnick's wide grin.

xxxxxxxxxxx

A fresh breeze travelled through the thick forest, playfully weaving in between ancient trees and ruffling blue fur.

Sonic leaned forward at the touch, enjoying the quiet, private moment. Green eyes flickered down, observing the carts full of people and goods slowly advancing from the safety of the tree branch he was perched on. He made sure there were no mobians or humans left at the back of the caravan before leaping forwards, bouncing from branch to branch as he used his heightened position to guard the massive column of people.

Sonic paused as felt the weight of their gazes on him, making the young hedgehog look down. Spotting the gawkers, he flashed a winning smile at them before continuing forwards, his balance near perfect as he leaped away. Anyone who watched him would think he'd been doing this his entire life. They would never believe him if he told them he'd only learned this three days ago.

After his talk with Amy, he'd redoubled his efforts. He trained harder with Knuckles, who had begun including a few more mobians -including Amy and Mighty- to their lessons. He took longer scouting missions, and brought back as much food he could come across. Sonic turned down no one in need of help. At one point, the young speedster had wandered into a small city and managed to rescue the surviving population, whom were quickly integrated to the main group.

From a scattered group of less than fourth people, they were pushing the eighty. Being quiet and stealthy which such a large population had become harder for the survivors, and the number of aliens Sonic had to fight off had doubled. Still he pressed on, learning how to use his skills and strengths with each new battle.

He wore a jacket now, a dull green that helped him camouflage against the thick forest and helped him stay warm. It did nothing to help the strange cold nestled in his heart, but it was a comfort he enjoyed so he kept it.

The fact he'd been given the clothing by Tails might have something to do with his choice.

Amy had also been kind enough to get him a belt he now used to carry a few rations, a emergency kit, a water bottle and a communication device Rouge had scavenged from her car to keep in touch with the main group when he went scouting.

To his relief, his neck injury had finished healing not to long ago, and he'd given the brown scarf for Tails to wear, which the fox did so happily to protect his mouth and nose when he was working on machines from the safety of the travelling carts.

After realizing his mistake, Sonic had quickly gained strength back, and his sparring with Knuckles had never been better. The echidna had noticed the difference, and after finding out the truth Sonic had received the mouthful -and punches- he'd rightfully expected from his overprotective friend.

Frankly, it felt strange having so many people that cared about him. Strange in a good way.

(The cold hurt less, too.)

The little speedster breathed in the lush forest air again, toes curling at the scent of grass and damp earth in the breeze. Honestly, once they got to Mystic Ruins, he had no idea what to do, or where to go. He wanted to explore, that was something he'd come to terms with. The world was so much bigger than he'd previously thought. Sonic promised himself he would experience everything this planet had to offer.

He'd been locked away for long enough.

 ** _Thunk_**. Sonic was suddenly snapped back to reality as he collided with something hard and cold, sending him sprawling to the ground several feet below.

It had been a careless move from Sonic to not pay attention where he was headed, and the cobalt male paid the price. While a fall like that could have severely injured a mobian, it left the hybrid momentarily dazed, sprawled in a mess of blue limbs and broken branches as his eyesight struggled to realign itself.

As he laid there, stunned, the speedster could only think one thing. That _couldn't_ have been a tree.

Ignoring the last tendrils of pain creeping across his body, Sonic slowly stood up, carefully eyeing the source of his unfortunate tumble into the dirt. He stared at the strange object, eyes slowly becoming wide with wonder as he circled the strange dull grey structure that had been camouflaged among the surrounding flora by the lichen clinging to its surface. By his estimate, it as tall as the Tornado was long, and that was intimidating.

Unable to help himself, Sonic's left hand reached out, touching the cracked, worn stone. _What is this?_ He silently wondered, spotting a few more similar pillars spread across the thick jungle.

It definitively wasn't a natural construct, he could see the faint scratches of tools on its surface. What could it be for, besides a eyesore? Sonic pursed his lips, eyes narrowing as he circled the structure, finding no answer to his curiosity.

He needed Knuckles. He'd probably know what to do.

...though, it wasn't that much of a cumbersome eyesore as originally thought. It reminded him of the ruined houses of Knothole, but built of stone and covered in plants. A strange air of solemn melancholy seemed to cling around the mysterious building. His fur bristled as he felt something stir within him, resonating with the strange building. The wretched cold in his heart twisted in its slumber, cracking one eye open in sharp, predatory interest.

Sonic shivered. _Yeah, definitively getting Knuckles. Now_.

The azure hedgehog disappeared in a burst of speed.

Several yards away, trudging deep through the thick forest, a certain scarlet echidna blinked as a blur stopped right in front of him, bringing the caravan to a halt.

"What is it? Aliens?"

"No, found something ahead." The blue hedgehog said as he hopped from leg to leg. "Might be a building, I don't know; I need you to take a look." The speedster reached for him, and Knuckles didn't hesitate to grab his arm.

Wrapping a arm securely around the echidna's shoulders Sonic ran back to his discovery, snickering under his breath at the strangled gasp Knuckles let out as he was dragged along. It had taken them a while to come up with a way for him to safely carry someone at high speed, but the pulled muscles had been worth it.

The massive column loomed over them, dwarfing the duo with its sheer size. Letting his companion go, Sonic edged closer to the structure. He placed a hand on the pale stone, feeling the bumps and scratched that told of the hundreds of years of history etched upon its surface.

Sonic could only wonder what it would have looked like in its prime. Would there be trees and vines growing around it, or would it have stood alone, in a vast plain? Or maybe it once sat at the side of an old road from some ancient, forgotten time?

"Do you know what this is?" The hybrid finally asked, tilting his head towards the scarlet mobian.

The older male nodded softly, his purple eyes travelling up and down the massive stone column. "I've seen these before. Echidna monuments. That means we're close." Knuckles stated, his eyes shifting to the surrounding flora. Rare had become the oak trees, with the beginnings of a jungle laying around them.

Sonic hopped from foot to foot, energized by his friend's words. "Really?" He exclaimed, the faint wariness he felt about his discovery vanishing as he realized what it represented. "How long?!"

"Well..." Knuckles began, trailing off as he walked up to the column and examined it carefully. Letting out a noise of victory, he pointed at a set of carvings at the base of the structure. "See this? This is a warning. It tells trespassers that they are encroaching on the clan's territory. So..." The echidna stepped back, brows furrowed as he gauged the distance. "Two hours at least, if we hurry?"

"Awesome! Then let's move!" Sonic stated, feeling thrilled. He grabbed his companion and speed off back to the caravan, eager to share the news. If Knuckles let out a startled squeak at the manhandling, the blue hedgehog didn't notice in his excitement.

It wouldn't be long until they reached Mystic Ruins and then, then, everyone would _finally_ be safe.

* * *

 **Some of you might be wondering how would Sonic start looking starved that quickly. In this AU Sonic is a Ultimate Lifeform, but he was created as a mess by G.U.N. who barely knew what they were doing. As such, he is considered incomplete compared to his counterpart, and unlike Shadow who can survive for several days solely on Chaos energy, Sonic would burn through what he consumes in record speed, because his body isn't balanced at all. This is one of his weaknesses, along, you know, the whole cold thing ;)**


End file.
